Emma VanBuskirk

  There are several “dividing factors” that impact community members who live within St. Jacob, IL. Due to the secluded and rural location of the town, one of the biggest factors is the location itself and what the town doesn’t have access to compared to surrounding towns. For example, the majority of the town is farm fields, so if you don’t live in town, you may not have the fastest or most reliable internet access. I also know of families who live in town, but do not have access to the internet at home because of the price it costs families. So not only is the location of the town a dividing factor, but the socio-econic statues of families and community members are as well, despite the data that I looked at last week through the United States Census Bureau (2026) claiming that St. Jacob has a decent median household income. I believe anyone who uses technology within the town is impacted by digital inequality. In this community, many children are being raised by their grandparent...

     My name is Emma VanBuskirk, and I am a second-year 4th grade teacher at St. Jacob Elementary School in St. Jacob, Illinois. St. Jacob is a small rural community within the Triad Community Unit School District #2 in Madison County. The students and families that live in the community where I work face many problems outside of the classroom. From this course and learning about digital equity, I hope to be able to take away ideas that I can bring into my own classroom, school district, and community. Every student should have equitable access to resources that they can use to learn and be successful. My Call to Action is that students and families in St. Jacob need equitable and consistent access to reliable high-speed internet at home, in town, and within the school building. This Call to Action will serve students, families, and teachers at St. Jacob Elementary School, but there are also other families and neighboring towns within the Triad Community Unit School Distr...