MetroNet was asked by the city of Lexington, KY. to help it close the digital divide. It responded by designing and funding a digital-literacy program that connects students from a historically low-income part of the city with computers, gigabit internet, and a fun coding and computer-skills curriculum taught by University of Kentucky engineering students.To kick off the program, MetroNet provided free gigabit internet access and ten computers to the Charles Young community center, located in the city’s East End neighborhood. Each semester, students from nearby LTMS Middle School are offered a chance to participate in the eight-week program by their principal, based on the children’s lack of internet access at home. With the support of the University of Kentucky and its local cohort of the National Society of Black Engineers, students are given credit to teach courses on coding and other digital skills. Called Metro C.A.T.S. (Computer Access to Succeed), the program brings together the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government, the Fayette County Public School System, the University of Kentucky, and MetroNet. Now managed by Partners for Youth, a division of the Lexington city government, the program has served more than 100 sixth, seventh and eighth grade students.
