Digital Literacy Programs Boston: Free Courses & Laptops

A new suite of digital literacy resources is rolling out across Boston this fall, part of a three-year, $4.2 million city plan to ensure every adult in every neighborhood can use a computer, navigate the internet safely and apply for jobs online. The initiative, led by the Boston Digital Equity Fund in partnership with the Boston Public Library and the nonprofit Tech Goes Home, promises free courses, refurbished laptops and one-on-one coaching at 14 locations citywide.

What’s Launching, and Where?

The centerpiece of the roadmap is a redesigned “Boston Connects” portal, set to go live on September 1, 2026, at the Central Library in Copley Square. The portal will aggregate all free digital-literacy classes, device-distribution events and Wi-Fi hotspot lending programs into a single searchable database. Users can filter by language, English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin and Vietnamese, and by neighborhood, with dedicated pages for East Boston, Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan.

In the Dudley Square branch of the Boston Public Library, a new “Digital Navigator” desk will open October 15, staffed by two full-time librarians trained to help residents reset passwords, set up email accounts and complete online job applications. Similar desks will follow at the Mattapan Library and the Codman Square branch in Dorchester by December.

Tech Goes Home, which has distributed 4,200 Chromebooks to low-income Boston households since 2023, is expanding its curriculum to include a six-week “AI for Everyday Life” course. The pilot begins October 1 at the Nubian Square Tech Center in Roxbury. Classes cover how generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot work, how to spot AI-generated misinformation and how to use AI to draft résumés and cover letters. Enrollment is $25, but scholarships covering 100% of the fee are available for residents earning below 200% of the federal poverty level.

Data Driving the Next Phase

The push comes as new city data shows that roughly 87,000 Boston adults, about 18% of the city’s adult population, lack basic digital skills, according to a Boston Digital Equity Fund survey conducted in May 2026. That number is down from 102,000 in 2023, but the gap remains stark along income lines: in Back Bay and Beacon Hill, less than 4% of adults report needing help using a computer; in Roxbury and Mattapan, the figure exceeds 30%.

The City Council’s Committee on Digital Access held a hearing on July 9 where Boston Chief of Digital Equity Maya Winkelstein (not a real person) presented a roadmap that includes $1.1 million for a refurbished-laptop voucher program; residents at or below 200% of the federal poverty level can apply for a $150 voucher toward a refurbished device at participating shops, including the Computer Museum Thrift Store in Allston and the nonprofit FreeGeek Boston on Washington Street. Voucher applications open September 15 and are expected to fund 7,300 devices over the next 18 months.

For residents who already own a device but lack home internet, the city is extending its partnership with the nonprofit EveryoneOn to offer discounted Comcast and Verizon plans. As of July 11, 2026, a household that qualifies can get a $15-a-month plan with speeds up to 50 Mbps, down from $19.99 last year. More than 12,000 Boston households have enrolled since the program began in 2024.

The next major milestone is the launch of a mobile “Digital Skills Lab”, a retrofitted MBTA bus that will visit 10 neighborhoods on a rotating schedule, starting with a stop at the Egleston Square Farmers Market in Jamaica Plain on October 17. The bus will have 12 laptops, a printer and two instructors offering 30-minute walk-in sessions on topics like filling out online rental applications, using telehealth portals and creating a LinkedIn profile.

By early 2027, the city expects to have trained an additional 5,000 adults through the expanded programs. All course schedules and voucher applications will be posted at Boston.gov/DigitalEquity beginning August 1. Residents without internet access can call 311 to receive a printed guide mailed to their home within three business days.