Digital Opportunity Workshop

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
01:15 - 04:00 PM
Room: TBD

From Broadband to Belonging: Reimagining the Future of Digital Opportunity: 

As broadband infrastructure expands, the challenge is no longer just connecting communities—it's ensuring people can meaningfully participate. This panel explores the future of digital opportunity by examining the interplay between the resident opportunity needs, sector value chains, community ecosystems with generative exploration of markers of meaningful digital opportunity participation. Drawing on lessons from existing benchmark communities and mature sectors, panelists will discuss how stronger partnerships, community-centered models, and a more coordinated digital opportunity ecosystem can move communities from connectivity to belonging, creating more sustainable and equitable outcomes.

Panel 2:

Digital Opportunity programs are increasingly expected to demonstrate their value—not only through participation numbers, but through clear evidence of outcomes, impact, and return on investment. This interactive panel will explore how libraries and program leaders can better measure and communicate the value of their digital opportunity work.  Panelists will walk through practical approaches to building meaningful evaluation frameworks, including how to design stronger intake and follow-up surveys, track participants beyond initial program sign-up, and identify what data is realistically feasible for libraries to collect. The discussion will also address common challenges, including limitations in participant tracking and privacy considerations, as well as gaps between what programs currently measure and what funders and stakeholders want to see.  The conversation will be structured around five key areas:  Program goals and the case for funding digital opportunity work Current assessment practices and what organizations are trying to prove Data collection strategies, including methods, tools, and limitations Approaches to determining ROI and demonstrating impact Lessons learned and future directions for program evaluation and surveying  Speakers will share real-world experiences, including what has worked, what has not, and how they are adapting their evaluation strategies over time. Audience members will be invited to engage throughout, contributing their own approaches and challenges to build a shared understanding of how to better measure and communicate the value of digital opportunity programs.