National data and local practitioners shared insights on the evolving role of Digital Navigators in rural, urban, and refugee communities across the Kansas City metro.
The following is a recap summarizing presentations delivered to the Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion on July 10, 2026. Topic presenters included Tom Esselman with DPO-KC, and Aaron Schill with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. There was a panel of local Digital Navigators, talking about the service they provide to the community and sharing impact stories. Panelists included Marcus Flores with the Parkville Living Center, Gustavo Martinz and Kevin Lopez with Care Beyond the Boulevard, Maiwand Momand with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Peter Arvanitakis with KC Digital Drive, and Yadira Gildo with Literacy KC.
Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion – July 10, 2026 Recap
Policy Alert: E-rate Reform Discussion
Tom Esselman from DPO-KC opened the meeting with an urgent call to action regarding E-rate reform. Since 1996, this federal funding has provided essential internet access for schools, libraries, and rural healthcare organizations. E-Rate lowers the cost of broadband, internet, and internal network services that schools and libraries buy. The support arrives as a discount on those specific purchases. Schools and libraries serving more low-income communities receive large discounts, ranging from 20-90% of eligible costs. E-Rate supports more than 100,000 schools and roughly 11,000 libraries across the country, providing approximately $3 billion in discounts every year.
Recently, the FCC has released a draft proposal asking whether E-Rate should be limited or terminated. There is currently a short window for the public to provide comments to the FCC to “Save Our E-rate”. If the FCC ruling eliminates this funding, the impact could be felt as early as this fall. Members were encouraged to go to the advocacy website here and participate in an upcoming webinar hosted by SHLB to learn more.
Featured Presentation: National Digital Navigator Corps Evaluation
Aaron Schill, Research & Programs Director with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), presented the findings from a multi-year program evaluation of the National Digital Navigator Corps (NDNC). This pilot, supported by investment from Google.org, focused on expanding digital navigator (DN) programs in rural and Tribal communities.
Key findings from the 30-month program include:
- Goal Achievement: At least 70% of participants reported achieving their specific goals through DN support.
- Confidence Boost: Three-quarters of participants felt more confident using technology.
- Sustainability Challenges: While the pilot affirmed the core value of the DN model, the lack of long-term funding remains the primary barrier to organizations continuing these services.
- Critical Recommendations: The evaluation emphasized the need to build a referral pipeline early to establish trust, and recommended surrounding navigators with sufficient organizational support to prevent burnout.
Check out the Program Evaluation Report here or more information on the program on NDIA’s website here.
Practitioner Panel: Digital Navigation in Action
The meeting featured a panel of five local practitioners who shared how they adapt the Digital Navigator model to serve diverse populations in Kansas City.
- Marcus Flores (Parkville Living Center): Serves seniors in Platte County, which he described as a rural outlier. He views digital navigation as creating a “third space” where tech education is a shared experience that helps older adults feel heard and seen.
- Kevin Lopez & Gustavo Martinez (Care Beyond the Boulevard): Operate a computer lab at The Beehive, which opened five months ago to serve people experiencing homelessness. They emphasized that the lab is more than just a place for tech—it is a safe, quiet environment where clients can build trust with providers.
- Maiwand Momand (Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas): Provides culturally responsive support in languages including Swahili and Dari. His team offers weekly digital literacy classes on everything from smartphone basics to scam awareness.
- Peter Arvanitakis (KC Digital Drive): Focused on supplemental technical support at the Digital Services & Support Center @ LAMP Campus, and supporting digital literacy classes.
- Yadira Gildo (Literacy KC): A former Digital Ambassador intern who now serves as an instructor. She meets community members in local digital spaces to break down the fear of technology through projects like Workforce Tech Bootcamps.
Why is This Work Important
Marcus in Parkville emphasizes their support services to increase enjoyment and the fullness of humanity. Often, older adults just want to be seen and heard, and he provides that for them in the form of digital support.
Gustavo said that they largely serve clients experiencing homelessness with their Care Beyond the Boulevard services, and learned quickly that it’s important to build trust in order to provide healthcare services. They also learned that you can’t have solid healthcare without the digital tools necessary to access these resources, which prompted them to create their computer lab, also known as The Beehive. They use this space as a way for people to access essential services, but also have a third space to relax and work on things themselves as needed.
Maiwand said that some of their immigrant and refugee clients coming to America for the first time never got an education, and oftentimes are being exposed to a computer for the first time. Not only are they able to access these resources, but Catholic Charities’ classes and navigation support have allowed some people to improve their lives, start their own businesses, and be an advocate for literacy within their communities.
Peter shared a story about someone looking for a physical “zoom room,” which inspired him as to the importance of this work in the community around the LAMP Campus. Through his work directly serving drop-ins to setting up brand new devices for clients, he has learned the value of trust and feedback to building a supportive community.
Yadira shared that her work teaching at Literacy KC has been all about building trust in the community, and empowering others to make a difference in their own lives. Some of her students come in and are very fearful of breaking a computer, and she sits with them and simplifies and soothes their worries, oftentimes inspiring them to graduate the program and build something with the knowledge they collected.
Stories of Impact
The panel concluded with powerful stories highlighting the personal nature of digital inclusion:
- Entrepreneurship: Maiwand shared the story of an Afghan woman who, after attending school for the first time through his program, is now utilizing WhatsApp to sell their products.
- Health and Wellness: Yadira described a Canva bootcamp student who created promotional materials and a QR code portfolio that was recently featured at the KC Art Festival.
- Immediate Needs: Kevin and Gustavo shared how they were able to sign a client up for Lifeline, SNAP and Medicaid on the spot, providing immediate access to phone services and reduced bus fares.
Community Announcements
- Parkville Living Center is hosting a town hall forum on July 23rd regarding the upcoming August 4th election and ballot measures. These events will be streamed to rural communities to ensure broad access. Find out more on their website here.
Want to get involved? Visit digitalinclusionkc.org to learn more, sign up for updates, or watch past meetings. Membership is free. Join us for the next meeting on August 7, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to noon via Zoom. If you are not yet on the distribution list, please email Leslie Scott at lscott @ kcdigitaldrive dot org to be added.