Five in 2025: Promoting Digital Opportunity through the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Inspiredu is excited to share that we will be hosting our first Digital Summit this fall. In the months leading up to this event, we will be sharing information about how our program aligns with the United Nation’s (UN) Global Goals for Sustainable Development. In 2015, the UN challenged communities around the world to build a better, more sustainable future by 2030 in 17 specific ways. The work we do at Inspiredu aligns closely with 5 of these goals.
Leading up to the summit in September, we will highlight a different Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in our blog each month, along with the initiatives and opportunities connected to them. At the event itself, community leaders will gather to discuss digital skills opportunities, explore their influence on the SDGs, and develop five-year action plans leading up to 2030.
Here’s an overview of our “Five in 2025” and how we’re already making an impact:
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Sustainability is about more than just the environment, and bridging the digital divide goes beyond access to a device. Holistic sustainability creates thriving communities for future generations. Yet in an increasingly digital world, people need the right skills to thrive. At Inspiredu, we’re committed to providing digital education opportunities to communities in need. This gives people the ability to fully utilize essential resources such as public transportation, healthcare, and job opportunities.
Key initiatives and events:
Inspiredu Volunteer & Training Center, a flagship Lift Zone powered by Comcast – Our newly refurbished warehouse space is a digital hub where community members can access free Wi-Fi, attend digital skills programs, and connect with others.
Bridge to Technology – Extended learning programs on topics such as financial literacy, career development, and telehealth help participants gain new digital skills. These workshops are open to previous Inspiredu learners and the community at large.
2.Responsible Consumption and Production
All of the devices we distribute to participants are refurbished equipment. In this way, we contribute to environmental sustainability by repurposing electronic waste. In 2024 alone, we diverted over 200,000 pounds of e-waste from Greater Atlanta landfills through our refurbishment program. Even non-functioning devices are broken down and rebuilt by a core team of dedicated volunteers, ensuring that valuable resources are never wasted. Devices that can’t be refurbished or rebuilt are properly recycled in order to prevent them from being added to Georgia landfills.
Key initiatives and events:
EcoSpark Initiative – This initiative encourages businesses and individuals to donate unwanted technology rather than discarding it.
e-Drives – Technology donation drives give community members a place to bring old devices for refurbishment. Throughout the year, these events are hosted both by Inspiredu and by our community partners. Organizations can request to host a drive at iuatl.org/sustainability.
3.Reduced Inequalities
Many of our participants lack access to technology at home beyond a cell phone. Plus, many families live in “digital deserts” with minimal broadband access, putting them at a disadvantage in areas such as education, employment, and everyday life. Our programs ensure that everyone has equal access to digital tools and education, regardless of socioeconomic background.
Key initiatives and events:
Learning Spark Initiative – Our basic computer skills courses provide participants with their own refurbished device, benefiting children, adults, and elderly populations beyond the session.
Digital Hubs – Community spaces in high-need locations give our Digital Navigators a place to help individuals enhance their digital skills.
4.Decent Work and Economic Growth
In today’s job landscape, digital education is essential for economic mobility. At Inspiredu, we provide career development programs designed to help individuals acquire the professional skills they need to enter the workforce. Workshops cover essential topics such as Excel spreadsheet management, resume building, and organizing personal drives. From there, our partner organizations can help them to find employment.
Key initiatives and events:
Career readiness workshops – Targeted sessions that focus on both digital literacy and job preparedness.
MUST Inspire – Partnered weekly workshops with MUST Ministries enhance career readiness for participants.
5.Good Health and Well-being
Digital access provides underserved communities a world of resources and tools that can aid in their physical and mental health and well-being. Access to healthcare is increasingly digital, from practitioner portals that allow patients to book appointments, refill medication, and ask questions to learning opportunities and fitness videos available online. Without a computer or reliable internet, many community members struggle to access these essential services. Together with partners like Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, we’re closing the gap with the skills and technology that enables individuals to take control of their health.
Key Initiatives:
Bridge 2 (Telehealth) – Inspiredu’s Bridge to Technology program is specifically designed to equip participants with the digital skills and tools needed to access telehealth services.
By aligning our areas of impact with these 5 critical SDGs, we hope to continue working toward a more sustainable future for the communities we serve. We invite you to join us in this mission—whether by attending an event, as a volunteer, or through a donation. Visit us here to learn more.