Seeking Foster Funding for Digital Skills Educators: Keeping North Carolina Communities Connected
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As North Carolina continues to build a stronger digital future, a quiet crisis is emerging in our rural communities. Six Digital Skills Educators—trusted, community-based professionals helping thousands of residents navigate the digital world—are set to lose funding in December 2025 due to the expiration of federal grant support.
These educators are the heart of the NC Digital Futures Program, a statewide initiative housed within NC State Extension that provides digital skills education across 14 counties. Their work is often the difference between isolation and connection, unemployment and opportunity, confusion and confidence.
Why Their Work Matters
The stories speak for themselves:
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A woman in Bertie County at risk of losing her home needed to apply for a job but had never used an online application system. A Digital Skills Educator guided her through the process, helping her take a critical step toward stability.
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In Roxboro, an older adult learned to use her smartphone’s GPS to visit her son in Chapel Hill for the first time in years—thanks to digital navigation instruction offered by the program.
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A senior in Randolph County, recovering from surgery and unable to type, was taught how to use voice control on her MacBook so she could keep working and stay connected.
These stories reflect a broader reality: digital access is not just about broadband—it’s about the people who help others learn to use it.
The Urgent Need for Foster Funding
As federal funding winds down, we are calling on local organizations, philanthropic partners, and concerned citizens to consider foster funding—temporary or transitional support that keeps these educators on the ground while long-term solutions are pursued.
Without this support, we stand to lose the only dedicated personnel focused on closing the digital divide. The loss would be immediate and far-reaching: job seekers, older adults, small business owners, farmers, and disconnected families would lose access to the digital world many of us take for granted.
How You Can Help
We need partners willing to step forward to sustain this important work. Your support can:
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Keep a trusted Digital Skills Educator in place in a rural county
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Help residents apply for jobs, access telehealth, and avoid online scams
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Preserve and grow a program that has already reached thousands of North Carolinians
📩 Contact Kenny Sherin at kmsherin@ncsu.edu to learn how you or your organization can become a foster funding partner.
🔗 Learn more about the NC Digital Futures Program and read powerful stories of impact:
https://communitydevelopment.ces.ncsu.edu/local-economic-development-programs/nc-digital-futures-program/
Together, we can keep North Carolina’s communities digitally connected—and no one left behind who wants to EARN, LEARN, BE WELL, and LIVE WELL in our digital economy.