State leaders partner with tech nonprofit to launch Alabama Digital Education Network
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Alabama state leaders along with the nonprofit Ed Farm, announced Tuesday the launch of the Alabama Digital Education Network (ADEN), a statewide workforce initiative that will establish a network of “learning spaces” within the state’s most rural communities.
The program, backed by more than $16 million in new state funding along with support from Apple and Alabama Power, will establish learning hubs across the Black Belt at libraries, community centers and schools.
The core focus of ADEN, the Apple Foundation Program, is an 8-week course that will teach in-demand digital skills like coding, app development, digital design, and artificial intelligence applications.
ADEN’s Montgomery hub at Alabama State University will serve as the largest site in the network.
Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Leadbetter said he believes the program will enhance Alabama’s digital infrastructure and provide opportunities for people across the state who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them.
“It gives us the ability to connect across the Black Belt,” Ledbetter said. “Today’s connection, as you heard, was the real connection that kind of made everything live, and it being right across the hub for Alabama Power was a big deal for them. Certainly something we think is going to be monumental going forward.”
Alabama Power is working to help make the network possible on a large scale through their connectivity infrastructure.
Governor Ivey, another partner of the program, said she believes it will bridge the digital divide by bringing the power of technology and high-quality education to the state’s most remote communities.
“The launch of the Alabama Digital Education Network is a landmark moment for our state,” she said. “Alabama is a national leader in both workforce development and broadband connectivity, and this initiative builds on that success by ensuring every student has access to the tools they need to succeed in our modern economy.”
More information about ADEN can be found here.
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