How can we bridge the digital divide in Western North Carolina (WNC)? For Through the Trees, the answer lies in our communities.
Yvette Brooks founded Through the Trees after moving to Brevard, North Carolina, and finding that internet connectivity issues were holding her and other families back.
Brooks quickly got to work building relationships with organizations and individuals who were already involved in expanding broadband access and improving residents’ wellbeing, and prioritized community-driven solutions—like organizing device drives at the local library, and partnering with established nonprofits like El Centro to reach Spanish-speaking families.
“Understand the issue and who you are trying to serve before you try to fix it,” Brooks says. “Get community members involved in how you fix it.” And sometimes for nonprofit leaders that means “[getting] out of the office and into the community. Go to the mixers, morning coffees, festivals, local shops and roundtables. Be visible and tell your story.”As a lead organization for one of the 10 collaboratives part of Dogwood Health Trust’s Digital Opportunities Initiative, Through the Trees is joined by nearly 50 other community partners committed to making broadband internet available, affordable and useful for everyone in the 18 counties and Qualla Boundary of WNC. Learn more about Through the Trees and Yvette Brooks’ leadership in this blog from NC State University’s Institute for Emerging Issues.
