New tablet initiative for schools will help close Detroit's digital divide | Opinion

Three weeks ago, I was speaking with the Rev. Wendell Anthony about the ways DTE is helping our low-income and vulnerable customers during the pandemic. The conversation turned to his deep concern about how school children in Detroit are at a disadvantage because many students lack access to computers and the internet. As we spoke, I was struck by the inequity and the long-term impact that could have on our city’s youth – and on our state’s future.

When I hung up the phone, I felt compelled to do something about it.

We have seen time and again how this community comes together during a crisis. There’s a reason the city’s motto, first penned in 1805, still resonates today: “We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes.” It was true during the Great Recession and through the city’s bankruptcy, and it is true today. So I reached out to other businesses, philanthropic organizations, the City of Detroit and the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), and asked for help in developing a plan to close the digital divide.

In three weeks’ time, we raised $23 million to put a computer tablet with high-speed LTE internet connectivity, along with technical support, into the hands of every Detroit Public Schools Community District K-12 student before the end of the school year. It took collaboration and grit to pull this together so quickly, and I am filled with gratitude for our Connected Futures partners: DTE Energy Foundation, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Skillman Foundation, Quicken Loans and Kellogg Foundation.

Because we are asking students to learn from home due to the pandemic, the digital divide is an urgent issue that needs urgent action.  The tablets and the internet connectivity will go a long way in helping provide Detroit youth and their families with the tools they need to succeed. While students use the devices and internet connection to learn, their families will be able to easily access sites that can help them with everything from applying for financial assistance to finding a job.

Even so, we know that this technology investment is just scratching the surface of the systemic issues impacting Detroit school children.

I grew up the son of a bricklayer in Canada, and my parents were determined that my brother and I would get the education they never had. When we drove past the University of Windsor every Sunday after church, my father would say to us, "I laid bricks here, but you will go to school here." Our education became foundational to our success. And now, as president and CEO of Michigan’s largest energy company, I find myself in an enviable position to take the lessons I learned from my parents and give back to my adopted city.  

The need in Detroit is great, and closing the digital divide is just one step in leveling the playing field for school children in the city. Long after this pandemic subsides, they deserve our long-term commitment and ongoing support.

Jerry Norcia is president and CEO of DTE Energy.