Access to digital tools and literacy is essential for thriving in today's interconnected world. In eastern North Carolina, significant barriers persist, including 29% of the population being aging individuals who struggle with digital skills, rural community members lacking access to technological resources, and over 15% of individuals facing challenges due to low technological literacy. These obstacles hinder their access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, thereby perpetuating cycles of inequality and isolation. Often, these issues span generations, where inequalities experienced by parents are passed down to their children, creating entrenched systems of disadvantage. Limited healthcare access means a higher prevalence of untreated illnesses, impacting overall community health, while inadequate educational resources result in lower literacy rates and limited job prospects.

Digital Skills for Ownership and Sustainability (DSOS) aims to addresses this need through innovative programs, such as the Mobile Computer Lab, which provides underserved populations with on-site tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the digital age with confidence and safety. DSOS is deeply rooted in the history and fabric of Carteret County, North Carolina, with the visionary behind the organization coming from a lineage that traces back to the original settlers of the Down East region. With a keen understanding of the local community's heritage and challenges for being biologically intertwined, the foundation aims to bring digital literacy skills to each underserved community in Eastern and Northern Outer banks of Carteret, Craven, Pamlico, Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Tyrrell, Washington, Chowan, Bertie, Hertford, Gates, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden, and Currituck.

Your donation can help support our vision in bridging the digital divide in the Eastern NC!