Bridging The Digital Divide (BDD), a Houston-based nonprofit organization and member of Broadband for America’s Texas Chapter, has a clear mission: to enhance the academic and technology skills of our nation's youth and adults by bringing broadband Internet access to every American Family.

Using donated computers from partnering businesses, BDD rebuilds and distributes these units – equipped with new software programs – to organizations that work with children, the elderly, physically challenged and low-income families.  By fostering community projects that teach valuable computer skills and encourage digital inclusion, BDD is leading the way in broadband adoption and accessibility in Texas.

Independence Hall Apartments and Computer Olympics
The Independence Hall Apartment Complex serves physically challenged and elderly residents; it is also the first HUD property to have a Wi-Fi network installed for its residents.  BDD has made it their goal to place a free computer in each apartment and help residents learn the benefits of broadband adoption, drastically improving the ease of broadband access for the Independence Hall community.

Having access to broadband Internet allows the complex’s disabled and elderly residents, many of whom are confined to wheelchairs, the ability to access needed social services from state and federal agencies. They can shop for groceries and other goods online, take college courses, and send email messages to their family and friends.  Some residents can also receive medical advisement and treatment online.

So far, community partners have been able to supply 30 free computers to the residents of Independence Hall.  BDD is now working to secure donations of retired Pentium III or Pentium IV computers to provide the other 200 plus apartments with computers that will allow residents to take advantage of this broadband accessibility.

The Computer Olympics is a free event that attracts over 400 children ages 2-12 who attend summer programs at schools, childcare centers, after-school programs and youth centers that have BDD-provided computer labs.

Computer Olympics was established to improve the academic performance of young students by encouraging them to utilize the 150 educational programs installed on the computers BDD provides to their schools. By using the software daily in preparation for the Computer Olympics competition, students are improving their skills in reading, writing, math, geography, keyboarding and other areas of knowledge.

BDD and its partner organization, the ROWDY Foundation, will host the seventh annual Computer Olympics this summer.