FRANKFORT — On February 28, Michigan High-Speed Internet Office announced the 13 recipients, including Grow Benzie, of a portion of a $10.6 million MITTEN grant to enhance digital access across the state.
According to a March 10 news release, Grow Benzie has been awarded $857,870 to support digital equity across a ten-county region in Northern Michigan.
The MITTEN (Michigan’s Inclusive Training, Technology, and Equity Network) grant program is a state initiative aimed at enhancing digital skills, device access, and affordable broadband service across Michigan, with a focus on underserved areas.
“When we expand access to affordable, fast internet, we connect Michiganders with jobs, healthcare, education, opportunity, and so much more,” Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II said. “Today’s announcement of $10.6 million in grants to 13 organizations will help more Michiganders access the tools they need to thrive in a digital world.”
The $857,870 awarded to Grow Benzie will provide essential resources and skills to underserved communities throughout ten counties in Northwest Lower Michigan designated as Michigan’s Prosperity Region No. 2: Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Wexford.
Grow Benzie is a rural prosperity incubator dedicated to community outreach and program implementation, focusing on broadband expansion to support rural populations. Over the past several years, Grow Benzie has helped to assemble task forces, create plans for broadband expansion, and secure funding for passing fiber to thousands of underserved locations, in partnership with the county, the community, other local organizations, and local internet service providers.
The $857,870 MITTEN grant was secured thanks to collaboration with the county and six other community-oriented organizations:
• Central Michigan University Rural Health Equity Institute (RHEI): Specializing in rural health issues, RHEI provides critical insights and supports digital health initiatives.
• Networks Northwest: Focused on economic and workforce development, Networks Northwest addresses digital inequities with a deep understanding of the economic landscape in Northwest Lower Michigan.
- Community Broadband Action Network (CBAN): CBAN supports community broadband stakeholders nationwide, advocating for digital equity and overcoming infrastructure barriers.
- United Way of Northwest Michigan: Mobilizing local communities to solve pressing issues, United Way promotes collaboration for digital inclusion.
- Mid-Michigan and Northland Library Cooperatives: These cooperatives promote digital literacy through public libraries, offering training, devices, and internet access crucial for rural and aging populations.
Following the announcement of the MITTEN grant, Grow Benzie and its partners will continue their collaborative work to implement the Michigan Digital Equity Plan, ensuring that digital navigators address the specific needs of underrepresented, under-invested, and underserved areas in our region. This collaborative effort will increase broadband adoption and develop essential digital skills through community-focused programs that remove barriers to internet access and digital learning.
“In Northwest Lower Michigan, broadband access is the foundation for areas such as expanding telehealth use, supporting workforce development, and expanding civic engagement,” Benzie Broadband Taskforce leader Jackie Luedtke Borozan said. “Through community partnerships and coalition building, we can work toward closing the digital divide, because no one should be left behind in an era where connectivity determines opportunity.”