Local leaders from the Vineyard and Blue Hills neighborhoods, along with the KC Public Library, shared how grassroots centers are becoming vital hubs for digital literacy, community safety, and resident empowerment.

KC Coalition for Digital Inclusion – August 2026 Recap

August 7, 2026 – The August meeting of the Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion (KCCDI) explored the power of neighborhood-level digital access. Featuring panelists from Vineyard Neighborhood Association (Ike Graham), Blue Hills Neighborhood Association (Edward Bell II), and the KC Public Library (Megan McNaughton), the session highlighted the implementation of digital inclusion initiatives within neighborhoods, including new community computer labs, and the importance of building trust to overcome tech-related anxiety and misinformation.

Policy Update: Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD)

The meeting began with several critical updates regarding state and federal broadband funding:

• Contracting & Deployment: Most KOBD contracts are expected to be signed within the next few months, with BEAD permitting scheduled to begin within 60 days of execution.
• Funding Opportunities: Partners were advised to monitor the Digital Equity Act Nationally Competitive program for upcoming funding notices related to digital literacy and device distribution by December.
• For more updates on the Digital Equity Act funding, check out this article. 

Featured Panel: Neighborhood Associations 

Moderated by KC Digital Drive’s Leslie Scott, the panel featured neighborhood leaders and library staff discussing how they meet residents “where they spend their time.”

Ike Graham (Vineyard Neighborhood Association) With over a decade of experience in digital inclusion, Ike shared the 58-year history of the Vineyard Center as a community resource.

• Lab Success: Vineyard has maintained a 10-station computer lab for 10 years, originally launched with support from the KC Public Library and Connecting for Good.
• They have a breadth of partnerships, including Megan McNaughton teaching classes at their center, and participating in KC Goes Tech with KC Digital Drive to distribute laptops and digital literacy workshops. Their residents really like these resources and ask about them frequently. 
• Evolving Needs: Current community priorities include classes on smartphone basics and navigating the dangers of AI and fraudulent videos.
• Address: 4301 E 43rd St, Kansas City, Mo.
• Ike Graham has stepped down as president and has been replaced by Stacy Hartman, who he said will do wonders for the community and is excited for youth voices to get some work done. 

Edward Bell II (Blue Hills Neighborhood Association) Edward, the president of Blue Hills, highlighted how digital access is intrinsically linked to broader community goals like violence prevention and housing stability.

• Community Action Network (CAN) Center Expansion: Blue Hills is currently building a new digital literacy lab in their CAN center, sponsored by the City of Kansas City, Mo. They are excited for the expansion and plan on partnering with entities to provide classes, as well as stand up their own digital literacy programs for the residents. 
• Address: 5309 Woodland Ave, Kansas City, Mo.
• They have monthly meetings on the third Saturday of the month at Salvation Army (6025 Prospect, Kansas City, Mo.) from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. All are welcome. 
• Blue Hills is eager to partner with other neighborhoods to enhance the capabilities of all the residents (homeowners, civic engagement, non tech-savvy residents) as well as making neighborhoods co-developers to build capacity of what they can do in their neighborhoods, including building stronger CAN centers. 
• What are residents struggling with? A primary challenge is the “nuance and intimidation” residents feel toward technology, often fueled by misinformation. Edward emphasized the need for scalable and replicable models that can support other neighborhoods and make residents smarter and safer.

Megan McNaughton (KC Public Library Tech Access) As the Partnerships Coordinator for the library, Megan manages the “best kept secret of the library”—the Tech Access program.

• The Tech Access team travels all around the city providing digital literacy courses to residents/library patrons to build trust and break down barriers to technology for many neighborhood residents. 
• Building trust: Megan focuses on breaking down complex jargon and scary headlines into simple, foundational facts to reduce tech-related nervousness among seniors and adults. She also tries to physically and mentally meet them where they are, ask questions, and learn what motivates them to learn new skills.
• The team provides essential “third spaces” and mobile digital literacy training at locations all across the city including the Southeast and Garrison Community Centers, Washington Wheatley, Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, Blue Hills, Vineyard, and many more. They are intentional about wanting to share resources with folks in need, and are always looking for more partnerships. 

Community Announcements

• Public Innovation Workshop: An event will be held on August 13th from 4-7:30 p.m. at the LAMP Campus sanctuary (1801 Linwood Blvd, Kansas City, Mo.) for neighbors and partners to provide feedback on community innovation. Click here to register. 
• Digitunity is offering another round of partners to sign on and receive a stipend for disseminating their digital citizenship curriculum to at least 55 learners. For more information and how to sign up, read here or contact Donna Fuentes at donna@digitunity.org. Anyone can use the curriculum for their classes, even without committing to 55 participants.
• Goodwill: The Bridge to Technology program is currently enrolling for classes beginning in September. Check out their website here for more information. 
• Digital Inclusion Week: The coalition is exploring a hybrid or in-person meeting for the October meeting to celebrate Digital Inclusion Week, potentially featuring lightning talks. More details to come soon. 

Want to get involved? Visit digitalinclusionkc.org to learn more, sign up for updates, or watch past meetings. Membership is free—just email Leslie Scott at lscott@kcdigitaldrive.org. Join us for the next meeting on September 4, 2026 (10:30 a.m.-noon) via Zoom.