digital divide Archives - Oakland North

In an era of laptops and smartphones, Oakland residents battle the digital divide

By Sarah El Safty | December 8, 2017 |

Over the years, the gap between those who have access to Internet and computers and those who don’t has narrowed. However, access to the Internet is still a problem for around 20% of Oakland residents, while around 9% of residents can only access the Internet through a smartphone.

Oakland agency addresses the Bay Area’s digital divide

By Atia Musazay | October 20, 2015 |

A lively smooth jazz band played at Oakland’s Impact Hub co-working space Thursday evening as guests filed in to celebrate the life of David Glover, a man who devoted his life to community work, including providing low-income students a technology education.

OUSD study finds link between lack of Internet, computer access and poverty level

By Melina Tupa | December 1, 2014 |

A new OUSD study found that 40 percent of students do not have access to internet and/or a computer at home. And according to those who the lead the data collection, there is a direct correlation between a higher level of poverty and the lack of access.

Black Girls Code teaches girls digital technology skills

By Melina Tupa | November 11, 2014 |

Black Girls Code runs after-school programs where they teach programming and game design. At the event held on Saturday at DeVry University in downtown Oakland, 100 girls between the ages of 7 and 17, their parents, and 50 volunteers listened carefully as Kimberly Bryant, the founder of Black Girls Code, addressed the crowd.

Oakland techie works to “open” local government data

By Melina Tupa | November 3, 2014

Steve Spiker checks his computer on a break at the Civic Hack Night held on September 30, 2014.

OpenOakland co-founder Steve “Spike” Spiker works to increase civic involvement and local government data transparency through technology.

Teens turn tech skills learned from nonprofit into a first job

By Melina Tupa | October 28, 2014 |

Kemish Rosales spent the summer of 2012, the one between his junior and senior year of high school, learning how to remove hard drives and disk drives safely, rebooting computers, installing software, cleaning mice and speakers, and attending a computer lab every Thursday. Angel Yañez also spent that summer fixing and refurbishing computers, setting them…

District demos new Dell laptops for Oakland schools

By Chloe Shi | October 10, 2014 |

A student at Urban Promise Academy explains his use of Google Drive for team projects to visitors, including Van Jones.

Taking math class online, designing video games, working with NASA scientists to launch experiments in space—these are things students at the Urban Promise Academy (UPA) can do with the 210 laptops the Oakland Unified School District provided for the school this year.

Kapor Center works to close technology “gap”

By Melina Tupa | October 8, 2014 |

The Kapor Center, an organization trying to close what staffers call “the gap” between those who can access information, education and technology and those who can’t, are relocating to a new home.