Beyond Access: Redesigning Rural Schools for Digital Equity and Economic Impact

In West Virginia and across Appalachia, many rural schools and families still lack access to high-speed internet, up-to-date devices, and digital literacy support. This digital divide doesn’t just affect homework completion—it impacts economic mobility, healthcare access, and civic participation. Having worked closely with schools and community partners throughout the region, I’ve seen firsthand how digital equity must go beyond broadband. It must build a complete ecosystem of access, tools, training, and opportunity.

Infrastructure is the foundation. From fiber projects and satellite networks to public Wi-Fi zones at schools, libraries, and parks, communities are finding creative ways to bridge the connectivity gap. Statewide programs like Kids Connect and SecondLaunchWV have refurbished thousands of devices and placed hotspots across West Virginia. But broadband and laptops are just the beginning.

The real shift happens when we pair access with skills. West Virginia's CS education mandate and initiatives like CodeWV are transforming teacher capacity and student readiness. When we embed computer science into rural schools, especially in areas like agriculture and healthcare, we create pipelines for future employment right at home. I’ve worked on programs that do exactly that: pairing classroom learning with hands-on, locally grounded digital applications.

We’re also seeing strong models of collaboration: school districts partnering with libraries, electric co-ops, and local employers to install networks, run training sessions, and even sponsor student-led tech initiatives. These aren’t just education projects—they’re community development plans. The most promising programs I’ve helped design are deeply embedded in place, led by the people who live and work there.

To move from access to impact, funders and policymakers must support scalable, sustainable, locally rooted strategies. That includes refurbishing devices, training digital navigators, modernizing Medicaid to cover telehealth, and equipping schools to serve as broadband anchors. The return is significant: digitally confident students, healthier communities, new economic growth, and stronger civic engagement.

Digital equity in rural Appalachia isn’t a one-time investment—it’s a commitment to long-term, generational transformation. I believe the schools and communities leading this work today are laying the foundation for a more inclusive, connected, and resilient tomorrow.