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Need Letter Of Support For Grant by October 18, 2021
​Grant is Due October 19

Yes we know this is a very late request

Chicanos Por La Causa Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant Proposal

Proposal

The AZBSN COVID-19 Task Force collaborated with Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) on a US Economic Development Administration Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant Proposal in October 2021.Download the EDA Grant Proposal

​The program is extremely important for the Rural Arizona Region and the State as it seeks to actively engage in developing implementation plans for digital inclusion and broadband technology to help close the digital divide, equip mobile units with cutting edge technology to conduct training and telemedicine; enhance local community navigation systems to increase knowledge and referrals to available resources, provide businesses advisement and technology to assist in their covid-19 recovery efforts, implements workforce development and employment services and conduct advocacy to bring economic development to the Region in alignment with state efforts to support and implement Build Back Better plan.

Contact
Robert Alvarado, CPLC Vice President
Information Management & Technology Services, Strategic Planning
 robert.alvarado@cplc.org (602)-257-6715 

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About The CPLC Grant

The CPLC Arizona Digital Inclusion and Economic Council will use its collective experience, outreach and advocacy capabilities to support a regional growth cluster in the geographic locality including Pima, Santa Cruz, Yuma and Cochise counties in Southern Arizona.  We seek funding from EDA under its FY2021 ARPA BBRC Phase 1 for a planning and technical assistance grant to plan activities for our Digital Inclusion in Rural Arizona program.  Our Coalition’s vision is the growth of a regional economy including economic development, job creation and workforce development based on three things: (1) strengthening and building the region’s talent pool with advanced training for well-paid, quality 21st century jobs, (2) capitalizing on federally- and state-funded broadband internet infrastructure deployment poised to interconnect this region with urban, suburban, cross-border and global opportunities, and (3) establishment of a regional Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan to lead and support workers with adoption of digital technologies for the jobs of the future.  The jobs that are created as part of this regional growth cluster will include the digital inclusion practitioners themselves, local residents professionally  trained to provide digital navigation services, tech support and digital skill training to job seekers within their own communities.

The Coalition targets Pima, Santa Cruz, Yuma and Cochise counties as a regional growth cluster to catalyze economic growth for the high concentration of systemically underserved and under-connected populations within their bounds. The long-term strategy of this Digital Inclusion in Rural Arizona program is to serve special needs, low-income, marginalized populations particularly Women, Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC).  The Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan will facilitate  sustainable, systemic change from outdated modes of communication and training in rural and underinvested communities throughout the region. Robust 21st century digital inclusion programs will provide training and support for existing industries and businesses, transforming the current workforce, addressing the broken promise of digital equity for all by the end of the grant period  and vastly expanding opportunities for rural workers.

The Coalition concurs with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) position that meaningful adoption of digital technologies for those lacking digital literacy requires all of the following elements: access to reliable, affordable broadband internet service, devices suitable for the specific needs of the user, support from digital navigators, high-quality digital skills instruction and continuous, high-quality tech support for learner-workers entering new industries or advancing in existing industries.  The Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan will address all of these elements as integral pieces of our theory of change, training local residents to provide these services within their own communities. 

Planning  Team

The organizational partners and planning team for this grant includes: Chicanos Por La Causa, AZBSN COVID-19 Digital Access Task Force, ASU, the Sun Corridor Education Network, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, Arizona First Economic Recovery Center, Arizona Telemedicine Program; Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council, South Eastern Arizona Governments Organization (representing a four-county region of Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, and Santa Cruz), Arizona State University; Internet service planning consultant and providers, Startup Unidos, Apache County School Superintendent 

ABOUT Chicanos Por La Causa

​CPLC is one of the largest Latino non-profits in the nation promoting equity and inclusion and providing comprehensive services to low income families in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas with demonstrated experience and capacity for implementing economic development and investment strategies, business and workforce development, job creation activities and managing federal funds. 

About EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge

The Build Back Better Regional Challenge is designed to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks.
The $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge will provide a transformational investment to 20-30 regions across the country that want to revitalize their economies. These regions will have the opportunity to grow new regional industry clusters or scale existing ones through planning, infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurship, workforce development, access to capital, and more.

• Phase 1: 50-60 regional coalitions of partnering entities will be awarded ~$500,000 in technical assistance funds to develop and support three to eight projects to grow a regional growth cluster.
• Phase 2: EDA will award 20-30 regional coalitions $25 million to $75 million, and up to $100 million, to implement those projects.

As part of the $300 million Coal Communities Commitment, EDA will allocate at least $100 million of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge funding to support coal communities.

More Info Here Build Back Better Regional Challenge 

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Contacts

Robert Alvarado, CPLC Vice President
Information Management & Technology Services, Strategic Planning
 robert.alvarado@cplc.org (602)-257-6715 

Steve Peters, Coordinator, Arizona Broadband Stakeholder Network &
Covide-19 Digital Access Task Force
​Phone and Text 520-321-1309
​aticarizona@gmail.com