2020 Annual Report Spotlight: Human-I-T Puts Power Back in Human Hands
As the adage goes, “all good things come must come to an end.” In that spirit, we wrap up our series featuring stories from Voqal’s 2020 Annual Report Spotlight. In this final look back at 2020, we highlight an organization that, with the help of Mobile Citizen, helped connect individuals to the internet during a
Celebrating Black History Month by Recognizing First and Only Leaders
In her latest article on the #makingairwaves blog, Voqal’s director of grantmaking and fellowship programs, Brenda Williams-Sears, highlights women leaders of color who were the first and only. On the heels of the election of the first female vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, I have been spending a lot of time thinking
2020 Annual Report Spotlight: Look to the Future
Voqal believes the opportunity gap — the educational disparity and inequity that exists across racial and class lines — is the most pervasive problem in the U.S educational system. With this reality in mind, the Education Opportunity Project seeks to measurably reduce educational opportunity gaps by providing capital and strategic advice to entrepreneurs and organizations
2020 Annual Report Spotlight: Building the Power of Everyday Citizens
We continue our look at the stories featured in our 2020 annual report with a look at the work of the organizations our grantmaking program helped support. More specifically, we highlight their work to help individuals and communities build the power they need to advance socially equitable public policy. Advocating for Latino Community Priorities in
2020 Annual Report Spotlight: Empowering Native Tribes to Harness the Power of EBS
In our second look at the amazing organizations and individuals featured in our 2020 annual report, we take a look at the wonkier, but very important, world of telecommunications policy work. More specifically, we highlight the efforts to extend internet connectivity for rural tribal nations. Many Americans take their ability to connect to the internet
Annual Report Spotlight: Supporting Problem Solvers Who Build Collective Power
Voqal recently released our FY 2020 Annual Report. In order to celebrate the organizations and individuals featured in the report, we are featuring stories from the report on the #makingairwaves blog over the coming weeks. This week, we take a look at the amazing changemakers who participated in the Voqal Fellowship during FY 2020. At
Thoughts on the Recent Attack on the United States Capitol
What occurred at the U.S. Capitol last week was an insurrection. Those that attacked the Capitol tried to silence voices and overturn a fair election using unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. And let’s make no mistake, this wasn’t just the work of a few thousand isolated individuals –– it was spurred on by those in
Our Statement on the Recent FCC Enforcement Action Against Voqal USA
The Instructional Telecommunications Foundation (ITF) (d/b/a Voqal USA) is dismayed by the FCC Republican majority’s decision to approve a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) against ITF. The Commission’s findings ignore our exemplary record, full compliance with all FCC requirements, and longstanding commitment to educational service. We look forward to responding in detail to the NAL.
Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021
To say 2020 was an eventful year, might be the understatement of the century. We faced a global pandemic that changed many things about how Voqal fights to address social equity. This included moving most of our operations remote at a moment’s notice. In addition, Mobile Citizen rose to the challenge and significantly increased the
The Student Loan Debt Crisis is an Equity Issue
In the latest Voqal DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) spotlight, Voqal’s digital engagement and community outreach manager, Jered Weber, examines how addressing the student loan debt crisis is an important component of advancing racial equity. As the country has struggled with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing that has been getting increasing