We couldn’t have helped Latino Kansas City entrepreneurs thrive without this grant | Opinion

The Hispanic Economic Development Corporation is the leading organization supporting Latino businesses and workers in the Kansas City area. I want to share our story of the tremendous success we were able to achieve only after receiving a grant from the Digital Inclusion Fund. KC Digital Drive is helping relaunch this important local program, with funding support from the Health Forward Foundation, the Kauffman Foundation, the Kansas Health Foundation and Google Fiber.

This grant was an important force in enabling us to research, design and launch our unique, integrated, culturally relevant, linguistically inclusive and innovative alternative adult credential digital literacy program, which profoundly benefits our community and immigrant entrepreneurs. The money was leveraged to obtain additional funding, allowing us to offer free classes that cover the foundational levels of our digital literacy, as well as offer alternative career credential courses at a reduced rate. Through these classes, participants have gained the competence to navigate the internet securely and the importance of using email verification effectively. Moreover, our program has equipped students with the know-how to work remotely using Google Workspace apps, which are crucial for both personal and professional productivity in remote work.

The impact of our program is not just in the numbers, but in the empowerment it has brought to our limited English-speaking participants. This training assisted individuals by limiting the risk of fraud, and helped them create trusted lines of communication in banking, telehealth and their children’s schools. In person or in virtual classes, students attended our sessions and actively engaged with the content, enhancing their digital literacy experience. The newfound confidence in navigating digital tools they gained was a critical asset during the COVID-19 pandemic, making them effective in e-commerce businesses, saving time and resources by preparing them with access to services, and giving them modern job market skills. Our participants are now better equipped to pursue career opportunities and start their own business.

One of the most significant outcomes of our program can be seen in the tangible entrepreneurial success stories. We have assisted some participants in creating and registering their small businesses, and they are all powerful examples of the transformative power of digital literacy in fostering economic empowerment. By equipping individuals with the necessary skills to harness online tools, we have enabled them to turn their business ideas into reality. They then serve as inspirations to others by teaching others, demonstrating that inclusive digital literacy can be a catalyst for entrepreneurial success and stabilize a business community.

In addition to fostering individual growth and entrepreneurship, our program also focused on building a sustainable model for future digital literacy training. We identified and trained two students to become facilitators of our program in the Olathe area and another in the Northland. This strategic move ensured that the benefits of our program extend beyond the immediate participants and continue to impact the community long after the initial classes concluded. Their involvement ensures that our program is culturally relevant and tailored to the specific needs of the communities the HEDC serves, instilling confidence in the long-term sustainability of our digital literacy initiatives.

The Digital Inclusion Fund grant not only enabled us to deliver our digital literacy program — it also helped us create a robust support system for our participants. We taught digital skills, and we also fostered a community of learners. This community, built on mutual support and camaraderie, has allowed participants to share their challenges and successes, creating a sense of belonging and collective impact that go beyond the entrepreneurial skills they learned. And it is a sustainable model for the future. I know other Kansas City nonprofits that will receive this new round of grants will be able to create their own achievements.

Pedro Zamora is executive director of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Hispanic Economic Development Corporation in Kansas City. Beginning June 3, the Digital Inclusion Fund will accept applications for up to $250,000 in grants to local 501(c)(3) nonprofits that focus on digital inclusion access, affordability and adoption for the underserved and disconnected. For information on how to apply, visit kcdif.org