Of the many challenges facing the city of Baltimore, spotty WiFi & a lack of WiFi is a particularly pronounced one. Youth across the city have no network to depend on for so many of modern life's essential functions.
In partnership with the Waves project, FullBlast STEAM is managing a group of installation teams to set up free WiFi stations in strategically located areas of need across Baltimore.
——————————————————————
CASE STUDY: CITY WIFI INITIATIVE
THE CHALLENGE
Baltimore City faces a persistent digital divide. Across under-resourced neighborhoods, youth and families lack reliable internet access — limiting access to education, employment, healthcare information, and civic participation. Spotty or nonexistent WiFi has become one of the most significant barriers to equitable opportunity in the city.
THE SOLUTION
FullBlast STEAM partnered with the WAVES Project (www.projectwaves.net) to address this gap directly. WAVES is a community-based initiative dedicated to closing the digital divide through strategic WiFi infrastructure installation. FullBlast STEAM contributed by managing and coordinating installation teams, applying our organizational capacity to help scale free WiFi coverage in high-need areas across Baltimore.
PARTNER
The Waves Project — a technology and community access organization focused on digital equity in Baltimore City.
ROLE OF FULLBLAST STEAM
Project coordination and team management for WiFi installation sites. This collaboration reflects our commitment to using educational technology not just inside classrooms, but as a tool for community-wide transformation.
INNOVATION PIPELINE STAGE
Pilot Program to Data Collection
This initiative represents FullBlast STEAM at the community infrastructure phase of our innovation pipeline — testing how technology access directly correlates with educational outcomes in under-resourced communities. Findings from this work inform our curriculum development and future program design.
IMPACT
Free WiFi access installed in strategically located areas across Baltimore City, connecting youth and families to digital resources they would otherwise be unable to access.s
