Seven different awardees will receive a grant from the Office of Statewide Broadband’s Computer Lab Program (MD-CLP) to purchase computer equipment.
In Montgomery County, the City of Takoma Park, Longview School (MCPS), Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, Montgomery County Community Corrections, Montgomery County Detention Services, The National Center for Children and Families, and WorkSource Montgomery have received grants.
According to the City of Takoma Park, grant funds will be used for equipment to complete the fit-out of the public computer center in its new library facility. Historically, the public computer center has served as a resource for all residents of the City regardless of age, ability, citizenship status, or existence of a permanent residence. Equipment upgrades will allow the City to better meet the needs of the diverse patron population who rely on access to technology and staff support to apply for jobs, housing, social services, and educational opportunities and stay connected to family and friends and news.
According to the State of Maryland’s official press release, the funding program’s intent is to support efforts to create, upgrade, or retrofit “computer labs and centers to provide public access to technology devices like computers and broadband for vulnerable and underserved Marylanders, creating new pathways to jobs and other economic opportunities across the state.”