Technology Learning Collaborative

Digital skills can open the door to a new job, a certification, a stronger family connection, or more confidence navigating everyday life.

At Beyond Literacy, that connection is at the center of the work.

As Philadelphia’s largest adult literacy provider, Beyond Literacy supports adult learners through reading, math, ESOL, workforce development, digital skills training, and digital navigation services.

In our latest Field Notes, we visited their West Campus to learn more about how they’re helping learners build skills, access resources, and move toward new opportunities.

Learn more about Beyond Literacy: https://tlcphilly.org/field-notes-beyond-literacy/

Bringing organizations together to collaborate and talk about what they are facing when it comes to digital equity is part of what we do.

That’s why we hosted our first-ever Digital Equity Exchange for CDCs, a space for Community Development Corporations across Philadelphia to discuss the digital access needs showing up in the communities they serve every day.

For CDCs, digital equity is connected to most of their work already happening on the ground, including workforce development, education, healthcare navigation, benefits access, small business support, and more.

During the conversation, organizations shared both the challenges they’re seeing, from shrinking funding to limited access to devices, and the opportunities ahead, including resource sharing, partnership building, and stronger connections across the city.

This is the kind of collaboration that helps move digital equity work forward, and we’re excited to keep creating spaces for these conversations to grow!

Last week at Philly Tech Week, we brought digital equity conversations into spaces where they don’t always happen.

Across both of our events, we saw people from Philly’s tech ecosystem engaging with the realities of digital access in our city and learning more about the organizations working every day to close the digital divide.

One attendee left Wednesday's even on Community Wi-Fi saying over and over again that his “mind was blown” and that he was excited to partner with Philly Community Wireless. That kind of energy and cross-sector connection is exactly why these conversations matter.

Digital equity impacts education, workforce development, healthcare access, civic participation, and more. It takes collaboration across sectors to move this work forward.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Philly Tech Week! If you have any questions about digital equity, we're here to help!

One year ago today, the federal government called for the cancellation of the Digital Equity Act.

Alongside National Digital Inclusion Alliance and digital inclusion organizations across the country, we’re reflecting on the continued importance of digital equity work and the partnerships that sustain it.

Here in Philadelphia, organizations across sectors continue working every day to connect residents to internet access, devices, digital skills training, and essential services, despite the loss of anticipated federal funding many communities were preparing for.

Our Digital Access in Philadelphia Report with 1Philadelphia, announced earlier this week as part of Philly Tech Week, reflects both the strong history of digital equity work across the city and the reality of where we are now.

Get the full report ➡️ https://tlcphilly.org/digital-access-report/

Join us next week at Philly Tech Week!

We’re convening partners, practitioners, and community leaders working to expand digital access across Philadelphia... if that sounds like you, check these events out!

➡️ Plugged In: Connecting Community Members to the Digital World on May 5th... Register- https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/aVjBnJAMRxK9jOejB0-DJA #/
➡️ Building Community WiFi on May 6th... Register- https://luma.com/jpnn4cjx

We hope to connect with you there!

Our first Member Meetup of 2026 was at The Welcoming Center, and while it was rooted in connection, attendees left with so much insight!

We heard from participants in The Welcoming Center’s Digital Bridge Program, people who have been building their own digital and language skills and are now bringing that knowledge back into their communities. It was inspiring to hear the participants passion for supporting one another, and how The Welcoming Center is expanding digital access by meeting people where they are… in the languages, contexts, and spaces they’re already a part of.

The meetup was a reminder that this work isn’t just about programs or infrastructure, it’s about the people it impacts and showing up for one another.

Stay tuned for more meetups and events soon!

If you’re doing digital equity work in Philly, this is a room you’ll want to be in!

Join us next Tuesday, April 7th for our next TLC Member Meetup! You’ll have the chance to network and connect with members and learn more about the impactful work The Welcoming Center is leading through their Digital Bridge program.

Register now ➡️ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tlc-member-meetup-tickets-1985734520405?aff=oddtdtcreator

What’s happening across the TLC network right now?

Join us next Tuesday, March 24th at 2PM on our Membership Call for updates on what’s ahead, a look at the current digital equity landscape, and a preview of our new website and resources.

PLUS members will have the opportunity to take the stage and share updates on recent or upcoming work with everyone!

See you there ➡️ https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/FSNHhLS5SyGKlTB8sT2PTQ #/registration

Digital inclusion work moves forward when people come together.

That’s what Technology Learning Collaborative was built to do, bringing practitioners together, strengthening partnerships, and advancing this work through collaboration.

For more than a decade, we’ve supported organizations across Greater Philadelphia, and our new website now serves as a resource hub designed to better support the community and the work happening across the sector.

Our updated brand reflects a clearer definition of who we are and where we’re headed.

This isn’t a new direction. It’s a clearer one. ➡️ https://tlcphilly.org/

Sustaining digital equity coalitions isn’t just about keeping a group together... it’s about building structures that can adapt as funding, priorities, and community needs change.

Some of the strongest coalitions we’re seeing right now are focusing on these key practices:
- Distributing leadership so responsibility doesn’t sit with one person or organization
- Revisiting priorities as conditions shift
- Helping members clearly understand the value of participation
- Creating systems that support long-term sustainability, not just short-term wins

These ideas shaped a recent conversation our Executive Director, Kate Rivera, and our Director of Learning and Engagement, David Cooper Moore led at Net Inclusion alongside Cristian Salgado and Aaron Schill of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.

Huge shout-out to Aaron and Cristian for collaborating with us on this! Looking forward to continuing learning alongside coalitions across the country.

If reinforced anything, it’s that the digital equity community is resilient.

Heading into National Digital Inclusion Alliance's conference, we knew many organizations were navigating the same uncertainty around funding and resources that our members have been experiencing. But the conversations in the room weren't about pulling back; they were about figuring out how to move forward together.

Again and again, we heard people talking about building new partnerships, exploring creative approaches to sustain funding, and connecting with sectors that haven’t traditionally engaged in digital equity work!

It reminded us of the theme of our own conference last fall, Resilience in Action, and reinforced what we already know...collaboration is essential.