SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced Thursday the new “California Digital Divide Innovation Challenge,” a global competition that will award up to $1 million to the boldest, most revolutionary proposals to eliminate the digital divide and expand high-speed internet access to all Californians. Thurmond announced this challenge during the latest meeting of his Closing the Digital Divide Task Force, an ongoing initiative to close inequitable access to technology the State Superintendent co-chairs with Senator Connie Leyva, (D-Chino), chair of the Senate Education Committee. As many as one million students still lack internet connectivity, and the State Superintendent’s new challenge is designed to inspire the public and private sector’s most ambitious innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and creative problem-solvers to develop technology and strategic partnerships that will not only help learners right away but remove barriers to success long after the pandemic is over.