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Good practice Imported

Digital Navigator Program — Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs

United States of America · Olympia · See the United States of America profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 99% 28/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

A Washington State pilot gave roughly 1,200 low-income and rural veterans free Chromebooks and 5G smartphones with two years of service, plus digital-literacy coaching to reach VA benefits online. State funding was not renewed after 2023–24, halting new enrollments.

1231 kits
Technology kits distributed
1213 kits
Technology kits delivered (across 30 counties)
496 people
Veterans/family members enrolled (as of April 2023)
2.5 million USD
Program grant funding
Digital Navigator Program — Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs

Details

Maturity
Discontinued
Promoter
Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs
Period
2022–2024 (single-cycle pilot)
Keywords
veterans, digital navigators, device distribution, connectivity, digital literacy

Context

In October 2022 the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), with the WA Department of Commerce's Digital Equity Program and T-Mobile, launched the Digital Navigator Program (DNP), a pilot for low-income and rural veterans, service members and qualifying family members at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guideline.

Objectives

Priority went to rural veterans, older veterans, veterans of color, Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program participants, and those in education or apprenticeship programs, aiming to connect them to VA benefits and services online.

Activities

Eligible households received a Samsung Chromebook and a T-Mobile REVVL 5G smartphone with two years of unlimited service, digital-literacy instruction (Northstar Digital Literacy and Grow with Google materials adapted for military communities), help enrolling in the FCC Affordable Connectivity Program, and a toll-free support line.

Results

WDVA's program page reports 1,231 technology kits distributed with Google Classroom licenses; a NASCIO award submission cites 1,213 kits delivered across 30 counties against an original target of 1,000; a local news report recorded at least 496 veterans or family members enrolled as of April 2023.

Conclusions

The program was a single grant cycle, not an ongoing service: the WA Department of Commerce did not renew funding for 2023-2024, and WDVA states it cannot accept additional applications. No independent, third-party evaluation of employment, healthcare-access, or long-term connectivity outcomes was located.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k) — Funded via a roughly $2.5 million grant from the WA Department of Commerce Digital Equity Program; included a device plus two years of connectivity per household.
Time to results
Short (< 1 year) — Single grant cycle beginning October 2022; funding was not renewed for 2023-2024.
Staffing & skills
Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), Washington State Department of Commerce Digital Equity Program, T-Mobile

Conditions for success

  • Grant funding (~$2.5 million) from the state Digital Equity Program
  • Partnership with T-Mobile for devices and connectivity
  • Priority targeting of rural, older, and minority veterans and HVRP participants

Common failure modes

  • State funding not renewed for 2023-2024, halting new enrollments
  • No independent evaluation of employment, healthcare, or connectivity outcomes
  • Reported figures vary across sources (496 to 1,231) reflecting different reporting snapshots rather than one audited total

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

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Attachments

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