New Mexico HomeWork Gap Team (HGT)
The New Mexico Homework Gap Team a collective action initiative
focused on providing hotspots and devices to homebound students
and led by New Mexico Public Education Department (PED)
NM Indian Affairs Department (IAD), Public Schools Facility Authority (PSFA),
Department of Information Technology (DoIT),
Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and State Library, Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS),
Navajo Nation, Community Advocacy, Community Learning Network (CLN), and more.
focused on providing hotspots and devices to homebound students
and led by New Mexico Public Education Department (PED)
NM Indian Affairs Department (IAD), Public Schools Facility Authority (PSFA),
Department of Information Technology (DoIT),
Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and State Library, Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS),
Navajo Nation, Community Advocacy, Community Learning Network (CLN), and more.
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Brent Nelson
Navajo Nation brentnelson@nndode.org Eldred Lesansee, IAD Indian Affairs Department Keegan.King@state.nm.us Eva Artschwager, MA, ABD Digital Equity Advocate cirrus.ed.consulting@gmail.com Ferdi Serim PED, Statewide LMS ferdiserim@gmail.com GAR Clarke, DoIT Department of Information Technology george.clarke@state.nm.us |
Jennifer Nevarez, CLN
Community Learning Network casenevarez@yahoo.com Jerry Smith, PSFA Public School Facilities Authority jsmith@nmpsfa.org John Chadwick, PED Public Education Department John.Chadwick@state.nm.us Kimball Sekaquaptewa, SFIS Santa Fe Indian School kimball@sfis.k12.nm.us Richard Govea, DCA Department of Cultural Affairs Richard.Govea@state.nm.us |
ITDRC Project Connect
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A crew from the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) arrived in New Mexico, a non-profit working to support Internet connectivity for rural and Native communities impacted by COVID-19. The crew is conducting site assessments and deploying wireless access points, hotspots, and cradle points to support wireless access for community members in need
Look for the HomeworkHub WiFi network; no password is required. Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), a volunteer-driven non-profit, has provided WiFi hardware and installation free of charge through its projectConnect initiative at hundreds of sites across the country. To learn more, or to request WiFi and other IT resources in other locations, please visit ITDRC projectConnect. Website: https://go.itdrc.org/projectconnect |
HotSpot Mapping
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The NM DoIT's NM Broadband Program (NMBBP) has updated the NM Broadband Map, which now includes the location of Public Wi-Fi Parking Lot Hotspots that are a combination of public, tribal, and internet service providers deployments. Each location when pinged has a “popup” informing on location, hours, passcode requirements, and notes on social distancing and fill out your Census Survey. Also, for those Hotspots on tribal lands, those are for tribal members only. If anyone knows of other Hotspots, please contact DoIT.
NM Broadband Map: https://nmbbmapping.org/mapping/ Hotspot Reporting: Email Gar Clarke george.clarke@state.nm.us Statewide Hotspot Map: www.nmhotspots.com WNM Hotspots: https://www.wnmc.com/wifi
EDAC Public: http://edacftp.unm.edu/gvalentin/AddrPoints_FCCMobile_bySchoolDistrict_Excel/ In addition, to assist communities and internet providers in applying for Federal Grants/Loans the NMBBP has included funded areas to include FCC Connect America Funds (CAFI & II), USDA Reconnect Awards, and soon the NM Public Service Rural Utility Funded areas. Added to that are shown the preliminary eligible areas for the FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (Auction 904) and accompanying that are the contested areas within New Mexico by four providers. Furthermore to assist local communities and providers the NMBBP included the State Economic Opportunity Zones and those places that meet the definition of rural or having less than 20,000 in population. Lastly, we’ve updated the coverage by technology types and providers, public facility locations, and structure points that together create a picture of broadband within New Mexico. |
Surveys
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HGT Online Learning Survey - K-12 NM
A survey asking each school Tech director to provide data on need. Approximately ¾ of the schools responded and the need is great: Approximately 44,000 students need connectivity and 55,000 students need chromebooks/laptops. Survey: HGT Online Learning Survey K-12 NM Results PED Distance Learning Survey
Parents can expect to spend about eight minutes per student to answer both open- and close-ended questions about their child's level of engagement in school, the family's level of satisfaction with their school’s expectations and supports, their school’s ability to meet the child’s individual needs, and their communication preferences. Survey: New Mexico Family Education Survey Connectivity During Distance Learning Survey (CLN with ISOC NM) CLN Connectivity survey STEAM Hub Survey (STEAM Coalition with LANL, LANLF, CLN, etc) STEAM Hub Survey |
ChromeBooks and Devices
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Chromebooks
PED/Indian Education Department has funds to purchase 10K Chromebooks. That order is being processed through our HP/SPA to Firefly. Following is what will be purchased, yet lots of detail with regards to deployment. Chromebook: https://fireflyadvantage.com/6qy22ut |
Mobile Connectivity Options
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Tech Specs: https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone/lg-aristo-4-plus?sku=610214661555
Verizon: We’ve been meeting with Verizon (Serge Wong) together with CyberReef to bring to students CIPA Compliant hotspots to rural. Any ideas from your side working with Jason Keene, be appreciated. Of note Verizon has been engaging DHSEM regarding a Mobility Unit or COW. I was not able to make that meeting, yet curious of the outcome. Wynn Brannin of DHSEM is involved. T-Mobile: Another meeting with T-Mobile that included PED, PSFA, State Library, and DoIT to clarify their coverage and hotspot offerings. I was impressed with the expansion of coverage for New Mexico since we last got data from them. I asked and they provided an analysis of LTE coverage that schools have access to (attached). To be blunt they are no longer the new kid on the block, yet are equivalent in offering to AT&T and Verizon. Their 4G coverage is nearly all of NM. Their hotspot offering is a $60 phone and requires a one year contract of $20 per month (Total $300). They have provide specifications and offering support. This needs some serious consideration for school kids/families. I have attached an analysis of school coverage they provided from data we provided them. I’d like to understand some of the columns. The phone that they’ve transformed into a CIPA compliant hotspot is linked as follows. They have a bunch of these in inventory. What do you think? Tech Specs: https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone/lg-aristo-4-plus?sku=610214661555 Other: We also had meetings with Kajeet whose hotspot solution is agnostic to provider, yet their inventory is zilch currently. They’ve sold more units the last two weeks than in all of 2019. Delivery if ordered to day is end of July. Additional meetings have been with Viasat for satellite solutions and TVWS projects/grants we are a part of. |
Resources: 2020 Broadband Strategic Plan
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Read the 2020 New Mexico Broadband Strategic Plan created by CCG Consulting and Finley Engineering for the State of New Mexico.
https://www.doit.state.nm.us/broadband/reports/nmbbp_strategic_plan-20200616.pdf 
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COVID-19 Resources
Funding Resources
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With special thanks to New Mexico DoIT, PED, DCA/State Library, IAD, PSFA, SFIS, Navajo Nation, Community Advocacy, Community Learning Network ~ New Mexico TechWorks ~ Pueblo Connect, and to additional collaborating organizations including NAVA, MuralNet, LANL Foundation, the Northern NM STEAM Coalition, the Internet Society New Mexico Chapter, NSF, Rio Arriba County, Northern NM College, and more.
