Picture this: two students in the same district log on for remote learning.
One has a stable internet connection, a working device, and a parent who can help troubleshoot tech issues.
The other, an English learner (or EL), shares a borrowed device with two siblings, has spotty broadband, and receives tech support in a language their family doesn’t understand.
This situation was the reality for nearly 40% of EL students at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The digital divide, long present in education, became a glaring equity emergency as remote learning surged. This gap came to stay as hybrid models became a natural part of the education system.
The term “homework gap” no longer felt adequate; for multilingual learners, the challenge was deeper and more systemic.
This article dives into what digital equity truly requires for ELs, and why most of the time, providing a device isn’t enough. We’ll explore:
• The unique tech barriers multilingual families face
• Real-world examples of programs bridging the divide
• Policy moves and philanthropic efforts that made a difference
• What still needs to happen to ensure every EL student can fully participate in digital learning
What Digital Equity in Education Really Looks Like for EL Families
Digital equity involves more than handing out Chromebooks.
Key pillars of digital equity for ELs are:
• Devices + Internet: Both are essential for meaningful digital engagement.
• Language-Appropriate Support: Families need tech help and instructions in their home languages.
• Culturally Responsive Outreach: Outreach efforts should honor families’ languages, cultures, and lived realities.
By the Numbers: How Access Gaps Hold EL Students Back
The statistics speak volumes:
• Even before the pandemic, 79% of EL teachers were already saying lack of internet or devices was a major barrier to learning.
• 92% of districts with large EL populations reported home tech limitations that directly affected instruction. For this analysis, large EL populations were defined as districts enrolling more than 1,000 EL students and/or EL accounting for 10% of the student population.
• By spring 2020, more than 16 million students nationwide did not have high-speed home internet, and 7 million lacked home access to a computer or tablet. Students of color, members of low income families, and/or living in rural areas were affected the most.
But we’re nearly 6 years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, so why do these disparities persist?
While bilingualism becomes an economic asset after graduation, many EL families face overlapping barriers: lower household income, language isolation, complex paperwork requirements, and immigration-related fears.
In multilingual households where parents have limited digital literacy or speak Indigenous languages, these barriers multiply.
What Works: Community-Based Solutions That Bridge the Divide
The digital divide has existed ever since individual or at-home tech devices started to be part of education. However, the first time we all encountered face-to-face with this gap was when the lockdown took place, back in 2020.
Back then, multiple districts and communities responded with innovative programs to ensure EL and immigrant students could get online.
At the time, that was the main concern for most educators and related organizations.
Below are a few notable examples of successful digital equity initiatives for multilingual learners that happen when all stakeholders align and commit.
However, most of these stopped being a priority with the return to physical schools, so our challenge is to keep similar initiatives in mind and remember that the digital divide lingers way after the pandemic:
Brockton Public Schools (MA)
In a district serving a large multilingual population, Brockton Public Schools paired tech distribution with culturally responsive implementation.
During the pandemic and with grant support, they launched a multilingual tech helpline, purchased laptops for every student, distributed 3,000+ “MiFi” hotspots, and held in-person tech fairs in families’ preferred languages thanks to the help of bilingual professionals, family liaisons, and community advocates.
They offered solutions through multilingual teams speaking Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, and Haitian Creole.
This is a great example of how it is important to provide devices, but also ask deeper questions about what it truly means to be connected.
Chicago Connected (IL)
The city of Chicago, donors, and internet service providers united in this $50M, four-years, public-private program to provide broadband to 100,000 low-income K-12 students during 2020.
By skipping complex paperwork and paying ISPs directly, they removed the administrative and financial hurdles that often block access for immigrant families. Community groups helped build trust and increase enrollment.
PHLConnectED (PA)
Philadelphia’s initiative offered free internet and hotspots alongside device support and digital skills training.
With $17M in mixed funding, it reached refugee and newcomer families often missed by traditional outreach.
It started by serving families without internet or only mobile-phone connection, living in public housing, or even experiencing homelessness.
From August to December of 2020, they reached 12,000 families and then expanded eligibility to ensure all English Learner and special education families could sign up regardless of income or prior service status. It included free installation, equipment, and digital skills training for parents.
Wolfe Street Academy (MD)
In Baltimore, this multicultural school collaborated with its bilingual PTA to distribute tablets and offer digital training in Mixtec and Spanish during distance learning in 2020.
Additionally, they realized that some families couldn’t access WiFi due to housing register issues, so part of the solutions included tablets with built-in data plans.
This hyper-local, culturally tailored approach was pivotal for Wolfe Street Academy: it removed both the connectivity barrier and the language barrier that were keeping their EL students offline.
Statewide Leadership (OK)
At state level, Oklahoma emergency COVID-19 funding relief funding was used to bridge connectivity gaps for rural and low-income EL students.
They allocated a portion of CARES Act funds to distribute 50,000 hotspots, distributed among 175 school districts, and over 850 laptops across Carter County.
Policy Levers: How Government Funding Moved the Needle
Beyond individual programs, broader government and philanthropic initiatives have been launched to improve digital equity for multilingual learners nationwide:
Federal Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF)
The American Rescue Plan’s ECF delivered $6.8B nationally during 2021, supporting 13 million devices and 8 million internet connections.
These efforts played a significant role in reducing the number of offline students from 40% to 29%, from which EL families saw immediate benefits, too.
This meant students were better able to attend remote classes, complete homework, and use online resources thanks to ECF’s investments. While the fund was temporary relief, it demonstrated the impact of massive federal funding to connect multilingual and low-income students.
Philanthropy’s Power: Filling Gaps Public Dollars Can’t
While federal dollars helped districts scale fast, philanthropy filled critical gaps:
• In Chicago and Philly, donors helped pilot broadband programs before public funding kicked in
• In Baltimore, community-led fundraising equipped undocumented families with tablets
• Nationally, philanthropy supported roles like tech liaisons and bilingual digital navigators
• In cases where districts took months to provide devices, philanthropy could provide resources quickly and nimbly
Funders played a vital role in ensuring equity didn’t end with device access.
They funded connection with care, including the staff, time, and training needed to make digital tools useful to every family.
This is an invitation to invest in trusted, multilingual digital access strategies. When EL families are connected, student outcomes follow.
What Progress Looks Like, And What’s Still Needed
What’s Working:
• More EL families now have reliable broadband
• Districts are offering support in multiple languages
• Tools are slowly becoming more inclusive for diverse users
What Still Needs Work:
• Newcomer families, especially those who speak less common languages, remain disconnected
• Many districts lack permanent funding for multilingual tech staff
• Most education platforms still don’t fully accommodate users who aren’t fluent in English
• Some of these pandemic initiatives need follow-up to ensure effects are long-term
Why It Matters:
Progress shows what’s possible.
However, without continued investment, these gains are fragile.
Real digital equity requires ongoing collaboration among schools, policymakers, funders, and communities, with multilingual learners at the center, so results are sustained through time and ensure long-term opportunities for ELs to thrive academically and beyond..
Digital Access is Language Access
For every student, and especially multilingual learners, connection starts by logging in, but ends up meaning visibility, support, and participation.
For EL families, that means help in their language, tools that reflect their reality, and schools that invest in partnerships with the communities they serve.
True digital equity comes when districts pair access with empathy, policy with outreach, and devices with the support to use them.
As emergency funding sunsets, the next chapter must be defined by long-term commitment.
And philanthropy can lead the way by closing gaps and opening possibilities.
Want to help multilingual learners reach their full potential? Invest in the infrastructure that connects them, as well as the people who make it work.
