The N.C. Division of Historic Sites and Properties, part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, has received a grant of $468,403.60, which will help pay for programming aimed at closing the digital divide for North Carolina residents.
The grant will promote increased availability and accessibility of online content at state historic sites by hiring a part-time digital inclusion coordinator and underwriting broadband subscription costs for visitors at historic sites and properties.
“We are thrilled to receive funding that will enhance our commitment to an evergreen goal of improving online accessibility and digital equity at our historic sites," said Michelle Lanier, director of the N.C. Division of State Historic Sites. “We are grateful to the N.C. Department of Information Technology for recognizing the importance and power of these online connections and we hope it will provide a powerful opportunity to tell more inclusive and transformative stories at our historic sites."
The goal of this project is to provide the public with free and accessible digital programs that improve N.C. residents’ comfort level using technology to learn about the state’s history. The division plans to use part of the grant funding to develop online content such as tours and lectures. These initiatives are an extension of the Division of State Historic Sites and Properties' larger work around the guiding value of True Inclusion.
The grant of $468,403.60 was awarded by the N.C. Department of Information Technology's Division of Broadband and Digital Equity and was funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. It is part of $9.9 million in awards for the state's first Digital Equity Grant to help North Carolinians afford high-speed internet, obtain digital devices, and access digital literacy resources as part of Governor Roy Cooper’s plan to close the digital divide in North Carolina.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, three science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 41 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the N.C. Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, and the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov.