After a major digital literacy nonprofit abruptly shutters, a nearby org will accept students

“Although this is sad news, we are proud of Byte Back’s 27-year history and legacy of success,” a statement reads on the nonprofit’s website. “Over the years, Byte Back has closed the digital divide for thousands of adults from historically excluded communities.”

It is unclear what caused the closure, and the statement did not specify any reasons. 

Desy Osunsade, the chair of Byte Back’s board of directors, declined to elaborate or comment on the shuttering. 

Byte Back offered classes in DC for the bulk of its existence and expanded to Baltimore in 2019. It had offered virtual and in-person classes, taught in both English and Spanish. 

Byte Back had served 7,000 people as of its 25th anniversary in 2022, Technical.ly previously reported. 

According to publicly available tax documents from that year, Byte Back had about $3 million in assets and $724,000 in liabilities — not signaling a major financial issue. It reported $3.6 million in revenue and $3.2 in expenses in that year. An overwhelming majority of its revenue, 98%, came from contributions. 

In 2022, the DC Chamber of Commerce named Byte Back its nonprofit of the year, citing its commitment to closing the digital divide in the region. 

This closing is a “huge loss” for DC and Baltimore, said Yvette Scorse, Byte Back’s former communications director. 

“Byte Back had a unique footprint, helping to make our digital age inclusive for thousands of people over the years,” she wrote in an email. “I saw how Byte Back’s programs transformed Washingtonians’ lives.”

Because of this closure, Scorse called on the DC government to step in, noting that helping residents upskill is an urgent need. 

Local government’s own assessments reflect as much, too: In its April 2024 publication discussing a district-wide digital equity plan, the DC State Broadband and Digital Equity Office reported that about 15% of respondents to its own 2023 survey were not confident “completing basic online activities,” including using the internet to look up any sort of information.  

“I would hate for DC to be left further behind in the digital divide,” Scorse said. 

The district has already marshaled tremendous resources to address this and other digital equity priorities. In May, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the city will receive $100 million in funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which allocates funds to expand internet access and boost digital literacy. 

The digital equity office’s report broke down what local resources that BEAD funding could support or leverage. Byte Back was mentioned several times, with specific references to its digital navigators program — which prepares individuals to educate their fellow community members on digital literacy — and its prior work on DC’s Broadband Education, Training and Adoption project to provide returning citizens technical education. The latter of these initiatives received a $2.4 million federal grant to support this project, according to Byte Back’s own 2014 reporting. 

A Virginia nonprofit is trying to fill the gap

Computer CORE, which offers all-virtual, no-cost digital literacy classes for Virginia residents, will be accepting students from DC and Maryland who were enrolled at Byte Back for the foreseeable future, according to the nonprofit’s executive director Donna Walker James. 

Based in Alexandria and founded in 1999, Computer CORE has been a sister organization to Byte Back, James said. The organization, like Byte Back, emphasizes meeting adults where they are at in terms of digital literacy. 

“Our motto is fun, friendly and free, and also warm and welcoming and nonjudgmental,” James said. “We’re a place where adults can come and admit in a room of other adults that they don’t know how to do something. And it’s so hard for them, but once they get there, they find it very welcoming. There’s a lot of other people like them.”

James encourages anyone affected by the closure and wanting more information about Computer CORE classes to email info@computercore.org. 

Like Byte Back, Computer CORE offers classes in Spanish, but those offerings are limited, James said. While classes are completely virtual, volunteers will meet with students in person to make sure they can get on Zoom and access classes. 

James, similar to Scorse, highlighted the real necessity of digital literacy classes. According to a study by the nonprofit National Skills Coalition, 92% of US jobs require some amount of digital skills, and a third of the country’s workers don’t have the necessary ones.  

James and her staff aim to empower their students with the skills required to succeed in the job market. The outcomes she works to see include promotions, new jobs and raises. 

But she’s also proud of more minor wins, like an adult not feeling the need to call their kid for help and general confidence working on a computer.  

Computer CORE is a lot smaller than Byte Back, James said, with a fraction of the budget, to her knowledge, and a smaller staff. About 600 adults are enrolled per year, and classes are held four nights a week. 

While Computer CORE is working to fill the gap, without Byte Back, there will be a major loss for adults needing to learn digital literacy skills, James said. 

“It’s a big void that’ll be there,” she said. “A real need.” 

This is a developing story. If you are affected by the Byte Back closure and would like to share your experience, please email dc@technical.ly