How Oakland closed the digital divide for nearly all its students

By Javeria Salman Contributor

OAKLAND, CALIF.

After schools went remote in 2020, Jessica Ramos spent hours that spring and summer sitting on a bench in front of her local Oakland Public Library branch in the vibrant and diverse Dimond District. Ms. Ramos would connect to the library’s Wi-Fi – sometimes on her cellphone, sometimes using her family’s only laptop – to complete assignments and submit essays or tests for her classes at Skyline High School.