Center for Digital Equity unveils do.OS to expand digital opportunity

The Center for Digital Equity, based at Queens University of Charlotte, has launched do.OS, a new three-year framework meant to connect devices, digital skills and community support into one coordinated pathway. The model is designed to help Carolinas residents build the confidence and capabilities needed for an AI-driven economy.

Why it matters: - The Center for Digital Equity is shifting from digital access alone to a broader model that links technology, training and support. - do.OS is aimed at helping residents use digital tools to find jobs, access benefits, manage health needs and stay connected in an AI-driven economy. - The framework is now the foundation of CDE’s next three-year strategic plan.

What happened: - The Center for Digital Equity, based at Queens University of Charlotte, introduced the Digital Opportunity Operating System, or do.OS. - CDE unveiled the model on Aug. 12, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina. - do.OS is a community-based digital equity framework that connects existing resources and services into one coordinated pathway. - The model is designed to help residents access technology, build digital skills and gain confidence for long-term economic opportunity.

The details: - do.OS starts from the idea that getting people online is no longer enough. - The model reflects the growing impact of artificial intelligence on job searches, benefit access and health management. - A typical do.OS pathway may include a digital skills class, support from a CDE Digital Navigator, a personal laptop and referrals to workforce, healthcare, education and community organizations. - CDE says digital opportunity begins with device access but depends on ongoing support tied to a person’s goals. - Those goals can include finding work, pursuing education, accessing healthcare or staying connected with friends and family. - Since receiving capital from investors in the Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative in 2021, CDE says its work has expanded from a single-county digital access effort to a statewide model focused on holistic digital opportunity. - CDE has built a network of more than 150 community partners. - The partners work on digital skills, policy conversations, workforce readiness and connections to essential services. - CDE’s five-year and FY26 impact report is available online in interactive formats. - The report says CDE and its partners have connected thousands of residents to critical resources.

Impact at a glance: - CDE’s Digital Navigator program connected 11,273 residents through 15,503 digital navigation interactions. - More than 20,000 devices were distributed through programs including Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s MeckTech, E2D and Human-I-T’s Gold Membership program. - More than 1,000 community-based training events were held across the Carolinas.

Between the lines: - The new model reflects a broader view of digital equity: access without support can leave residents behind as tools and expectations change. - CDE’s move toward standardized metrics and shared data suggests a push to prove outcomes across multiple partners and programs, not just individual projects. - Community feedback helped shape the shift from basic device access to job-readiness, AI skills and cybersecurity training. - The organization’s evolution also signals that local digital equity work is being tied more closely to civic infrastructure, workforce systems and public services.

What's next: - Over the next three years, CDE will focus on building and scaling do.OS. - The organization will track success through shared data, standardized metrics, partner reporting and community surveys. - CDE will continue using research-based methods and community feedback during implementation. - The long-term goal is to weave digital opportunity into civic infrastructure and strengthen digital literacy across the Carolinas.

The bottom line: - do.OS turns digital equity from a set of separate programs into a coordinated system designed to help residents keep pace with technology and convert access into opportunity.