Previous Work: California Connects

California Connects is a state-level program administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges that seeks to advance digital opportunity for underserved communities by promoting and enabling digital competency. Among other services, the program provides laptops to community college students, who in return teach people in their communities how to use computers and the Internet. The program also provides free classes in low-income Central Valley communities. The California Connects team at ICSI provides research support for the initiative, evaluating the program's structure and effectiveness in the context of its target population and making recommendations for its future.

California Connects is funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration through its Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, which uses American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds to improve broadband access and increase digital inclusion.