Lessons That Last: Sarah + Citywide Classroom

Coming into enFocus from my undergraduate education, I was initially nervous that I wouldn’t be able to continue my passion for working in education. I had spent four years tutoring and advancing literacy education for underserved students, and I felt unmoored stepping into a more corporate space.

Thankfully, my first project, Citywide Classroom, quickly reassured me. Since 2020, this initiative has aimed to bridge the digital divide and increase educational equity across the South Bend-Elkhart region by offering free Wi-Fi to students in South Bend Community School Corporation and School City of Mishawaka. I was tasked with helping expand our private LTE pilot to new families. This offering provides unlimited Internet access to entire households, as long as they are within range of our radios.

“While I was eager to dive into this work, I realized the project required skills I hadn’t fully developed. Instead of rushing forward with a clunky solution, I took time to grow. enFocus supports Fellows by providing dedicated time for professional development during the work week, and I used that to build the skills I needed.”

I attended a grantwriting workshop at no cost and completed online courses in ArcGIS, Microsoft Excel, and Python. Investing in professional development before applying it to my project helped me become a stronger contributor. Practicing these workflows in a controlled setting enabled me to work more efficiently and creatively when it came time to deliver.

After three months of work, I was excited about the next steps. I envisioned a fully functional tower and a successful grant submission. However, before we submitted the grant, a decision was made not to move forward with the LTE expansion at this time. Initially, I felt defeated, as though my work had been a waste.

Fortunately, I was surrounded by a supportive, experienced team who helped me reframe the situation. They reminded me that while there was space for disappointment, there wasn’t space to give up. The decision was made in the best interest of our sponsors, the schools, and their current needs. Importantly, my work wasn’t lost. The materials I developed positioned the team to submit a strong application quickly if the opportunity arises in the future.

Following this pivot, I was able to explore new ways Citywide Classroom could support the schools. This included federal policy research, strategy development, and ultimately presenting a vision for the program’s next steps. I had never been in a position where I could evaluate opportunities and pitch forward-looking strategies, and it quickly became my favorite part of the project.

These efforts led to a meaningful impact. Today, 2,700 unlimited hotspots are available to our community, with nearly $2M discounted from the schools’ bills. While the original plan changed, the mission remained the same. We are focused on supporting as many students as possible in a sustainable way.

Citywide Classroom’s goal is to serve all students in need across our districts. That commitment is reflected in our outreach events, school communications, and expansion efforts. However, true digital equity means someday no longer needing Citywide Classroom at all. That’s the vision, and it’s why the work continues.

If you or someone you know could benefit from Citywide Classroom’s services, please find our application here.