By Alisa Valentin
December 9, 2025
Power shapes how people experience our society. For some, it is an invisible force they navigate with ease, while others are taught, implicitly or explicitly, that their voices matter less. This reality underscores why public interest advocacy exists. Our role is to interrogate this imbalance and demand a more equitable future where everyone has the right to self-determination. At Public Knowledge and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, we believe in the importance of building collective power and know that the lived experiences of all communities in the U.S. must guide policies that close the digital divide. That is why we are thrilled to announce our partnership in launching the Connectivity Policy Corps (CPC), a program designed to shape broadband policies that better reflect the lived realities of those working tirelessly to address digital inequities across small towns, cities, and Tribal lands.
In March 2025, our organizations hosted a policy fly-in with digital navigators from 14 states. We held more than 60 meetings with congressional offices and the Federal Communications Commission as we brought the human impact of digital inclusion work directly to policymakers. Digital navigators shared how affordable, reliable broadband and digital skills transform lives, expand opportunities, and empower communities. Our D.C. policy fly-in and other community events across New Mexico, Georgia, and Ohio, demonstrated that people outside of the Beltway possess unique skills and passion to transform our digital ecosystem for the better. This successful mobilization of people from across the country could translate into a sustainable network of engagement – if we cultivate it. Together, we can demonstrate that policy is indeed personal, and that is not a vulnerability – it is a strength.
The Connectivity Policy Corps will provide a sustained platform for 18 digital inclusion practitioners from 14 states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia , which will better ensure broadband policies are shaped by community-driven ideas. Members will receive exclusive training by policy experts as well as access to advocacy tools, networking opportunities, and a professional development certificate. Participants will actively engage with congressional staff, state policymakers, and federal agencies to advance digital equity, expand broadband affordability solutions, strengthen consumer protections, and drive meaningful reform to the Universal Service Fund.
Those working to connect our communities are confronting a moment where there is a sense of scarcity manufactured by those in power, including policymakers and industry. Their neighbors feel the weight of inevitability, as economic pressures and systemic barriers leave millions of households disconnected. The CPC aims to turn these frustrations into action by centering community voices and equipping advocates with the tools to shape and influence policy that will yield a more equitable, creative, and connected future.
Learn more about the CPC program and how you can join the movement to advance digital equity and shape a more inclusive digital future here.
