2 min read
Sep 15, 2026
Click, Powered by DigitalC has trained more than 30,000 residents through more than 39,000 digital skills training experiences since 2024
DigitalC has been named the 2026 Best of Tech Award winner for Education and Training by the Greater Cleveland Partnership, recognizing the organization’s work to equip Cleveland residents with the skills and confidence to participate fully in an increasingly digital world.
The award was presented September 14 during the 20th Annual Best of Tech Awards at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. DigitalC was also a finalist in the Tech Community Groups/Ecosystem Amplifiers category.
The recognition highlights the impact of Click, Powered by DigitalC, the digital skills component of DigitalC’s community-based approach to closing Cleveland’s digital divide. Since 2024, Click has trained more than 30,000 residents through more than 39,000 digital skills training experiences, meeting residents in neighborhoods across Cleveland with practical, accessible technology education.
“Connecting a home to the internet is important, but access is only the beginning,” said Joshua Edmonds, Chief Executive Officer of DigitalC. “Digital empowerment happens when people have the skills and confidence to use that connection to apply for a job, complete homework, access healthcare, navigate essential services or explore what is possible with emerging technology.”
DigitalC’s Click team works alongside a growing ecosystem of community organizations, institutions and contracted training partners to deliver digital skills programming across Cleveland. Together, these efforts expand access to training in neighborhood-based settings where residents already live, learn and gather, while allowing programming to respond to a wide range of community needs.
That work also includes DigitalC’s satellite office at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, where Click team members help residents strengthen digital skills while accessing online resources, benefits and other essential services.
Click programming ranges from foundational computer and smartphone skills to coding, robotics, drones, career readiness and emerging technology. Training takes place through schools, libraries, recreation centers, senior communities, neighborhood organizations and other community-based settings.
Digital skills training is also a significant component of DigitalC’s contract with the City of Cleveland. DigitalC exceeded its City training goals in both 2024 and 2025 and is on track to meet its 2026 training goal, demonstrating sustained demand for digital skills education alongside the expansion of affordable home internet.
The approach reflects a central principle of The Cleveland Model: broadband connects a household, while digital skills help unlock what comes next.
DigitalC pairs its citywide Canopy home internet network with digital skills training designed to support real-life needs, including workforce participation, education, telehealth, benefits access, device adoption and continued digital confidence.
The Best of Tech recognition comes as DigitalC continues to scale its impact across Cleveland. More than 12,500 Cleveland households are now connected to Canopy, Powered by DigitalC, while Click has surpassed 30,000 residents trained. Together, the programs form the foundation of DigitalC’s mission to bridge the digital divide, for good.
DigitalC also congratulates BlueBridge Networks, a valued network partner and fellow 2026 Best of Tech winner, along with all of this year’s finalists and honorees helping strengthen Greater Cleveland’s technology ecosystem.
The Education and Training award adds to a growing list of regional and national recognitions for DigitalC’s work in broadband, technology and community impact, including three 2026 Broadband Communities Awards: Broadband Provider of the Year, Customer Experience and Broadband Visionary, awarded to Edmonds.
