COMMUNITY COUNCIL

STUDY & IMPLEMENTATION INTERNET FOR ALL IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE THE INTERNET FOR ALL IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE (ITF) WAS HARD AT WORK IN 2025, TAKING ON SEVERAL PROJECTS TO ADVANCE DIGITAL INCLUSION IN OUR REGION. COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION IN 2025, THE ITF PRIORITIZED THE CREATION OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO HELP BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. THE TASK FORCE CREATED AN INFORMATIONAL FLIER IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH TO EXPLAIN WHY RELIABLE INTERNET ACCESS IS VITAL FOR EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, AND ECONOMIC STABILITY. ADDITIONALLY, THEY DEVELOPED MATERIALS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH LISTING COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT OFFER SERVICES SUCH AS FREE WI-FI, PUBLIC COMPUTERS, DEVICE LENDING PROGRAMS, AND AFFORDABLE DEVICES. MEDIA PRESENCE AND DIGITAL RESOURCE FAIR THE ITFS EFFORTS WERE PUBLICIZED THROUGH TWO FEATURES IN THE WALLA WALLA UNION BULLETIN. THE FIRST ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTED THE REGIONS NEED FOR AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE INTERNET AND THE ITFS WORK, WHILE THE SECOND PREVIEWED THE 2025 DIGITAL RESOURCE FAIR. THE DIGITAL RESOURCE FAIR WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT INVOLVING 18 COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INCLUDING SCHOOLS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND COLLEGES. THE DIGITAL RESOURCE FAIR CREATED A LIVELY ATMOSPHERE, FEATURING FREE FOOD FROM A LOCAL VENDOR AND A DJ WHO PROVIDED MUSIC WHILE SERVING AS THE EVENTS MASTER OF CEREMONIES. TO ENGAGE ATTENDEES, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL ESPORTS TEAM, COLLEGE PLACE HIGH SCHOOL FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA, THE WALLA WALLA YMCA, NN DEVELOPMENTS, AND GOODWILL OF THE COLUMBIA, HOSTED INTERACTIVE GAMES. BEYOND THE FUN AND GAMES, GOODWILL ALSO CONDUCTED AN ESPECIALLY POPULAR CLASS FOCUSED ON INTERNET SAFETY AND SECURITY. ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE, WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS MANAGED HELP DESKS TO PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT AND GUIDE VISITORS TOWARD VALUABLE ONLINE RESOURCES. SIMULTANEOUSLY, 21 OTHER ENTITIES HOSTED RESOURCE TABLES TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT TECH-RELATED SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN OUR REGION. TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND SPANISH INTERPRETATION WERE PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. EXCITEMENT PEAKED WHEN SIX LAPTOP COMPUTERS WERE AWARDED AS DOOR PRIZES, FIVE OF WHICH WENT TO STUDENTS. WHILE OVERALL ATTENDANCE WAS SMALLER THAN HOPED, THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED WAS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE. PARTICIPANTS ENCOURAGED THE ITF TO HOST THE EVENT AGAIN IN 2026, OFFERING CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS TO EXPAND OUTREACH EFFORTS. ITF MEMBERS WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK OUR ITF MEMBERS FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. THESE 37 VOLUNTEERS REPRESENT A WIDE ARRAY OF SECTORS, INCLUDING THE CITY OF COLLEGE PLACE, COLLEGE PLACE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COMMON ROOTS HOUSING TRUST, GOODWILL, HOPE STREET, PORT OF WALLA WALLA, WALLA WALLA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WALLA WALLA COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT, WALLA WALLA HOMELESS ALLIANCE, WALLA WALLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WALLA WALLA SENIOR CENTER, WORKSOURCE WALLA WALLA, AND VARIOUS BUSINESS OWNERS FROM WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE TECH INDUSTRY. TOGETHER, WE ARE DRIVING MEANINGFUL SOLUTIONS TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND EXPAND BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS FOR ALL. WE ARE BUILDING A FUTURE WHERE EVERYONE IN OUR REGION CAN THRIVE IN A CONNECTED WORLD.