On Aug. 15, the Los Angeles Digital Equity Action League (LA DEAL) partnered with the City of Palmdale to host its first-ever Digital Access Fair at South Antelope Valley Emergency Services (SAVES). The event served 300 low-income and underserved families and provided 145 families with free refurbished laptops through a collaboration with Homeboy Electronics Social Enterprise, alongside affordable internet offers through LA DEAL’s partnership with the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF). Families were connected with a range of digital literacy programs, IT support services and community resources designed to help students succeed during the school year.

UNITE-LA’s Liliana Aide Monge, Director of Digital Equity, and LAEDC’s Joel Martin, Digital Equity Program Manager, provided bilingual support to approximately 75 percent of Spanish-speaking families in attendance thus helping to ensure language was not a barrier to accessing vital resources. LA DEAL’s booth served as a welcoming hub, where staff engaged families and distributed culturally familiar treats, creating meaningful connections while sharing information about digital equity programs.

The Digital Access Fair was a powerful example of collaboration with community partners including, Advancing Communities Together (ACT), Antelope Valley Partners for Health (AVPH), Antelope Valley Uplift Foundation, Palmdale School District, RACE Communications, SALVA, SiFi, WeCanCode and Wellcare. By helping convene and support these partnerships, LA DEAL strengthened its countywide mission to expand digital access, promote affordability and connect communities to long-term opportunities.

For more information, please reach out to Liliana Aide Monge, Director of Digital Equity, at [email protected].