Technology Is the Great Equalizer — If Everyone Gets Access
Founded by Jane Harbert, the Katalyst Education Initiative is a mission-driven program dedicated to bringing AI and modern technology not just to those in affluent areas — but to every community, every school, and every business owner who has been left behind by an industry that profits from their exclusion.
"I know we don't have enough." — Jane Harbert, testifying in Pennsylvania's landmark school funding trial
The Gap Is Real. And It's a Justice Issue.
As Superintendent of the William Penn School District in Philadelphia, PA, Jane Harbert led one of the most underfunded, under-resourced districts in the state. She watched students in low-income neighborhoods receive outdated technology — or none at all — while schools in wealthier zip codes deployed AI-powered learning tools, high-speed infrastructure, and modern devices. The disparity wasn't accidental. It was structural.
In 2014, Jane led William Penn — alongside five other districts, parents, and statewide organizations — in filing a landmark lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, arguing that the state's school funding system was unconstitutionally inequitable. She later testified in the historic trial, describing a district where nearly 90% of students are Black, most are classified as economically disadvantaged, and the community already pays the second-highest tax rate in the state — yet still cannot generate enough revenue to meet basic educational needs.
Her testimony put a human face on the numbers: kindergarten classrooms of 28 or more students, zero reading specialists despite needing 30 to 35, crumbling buildings without heat or air conditioning, and a single Chromebook shared per family during the pandemic. "I know we don't have enough," she told the court. The Katalyst Education Initiative was born from that experience — and from the conviction that technology access is not a luxury, but a right.
The Initiative works on two fronts: bringing AI tools and technology literacy directly to underserved communities and small business owners, and advocating for structural reform in how public education is funded. The goal isn't just to close the digital divide — it's to dismantle the conditions that created it.
Philadelphia Inquirer, January 6, 2022
Four Ways We Deliver
AI Access for Underserved Schools
Katalyst partners directly with public schools in low-income districts to deploy AI-powered learning tools, modern devices, and the infrastructure to support them — at no cost to the school. Because every student deserves access to the tools shaping the future, regardless of their zip code.
Delivered in partnership with school districts, community foundations, and corporate sponsors.
Tech Literacy Workshops
Hands-on, in-person and virtual workshops for small business owners, community organizations, and educators. Topics range from AI tools for small business and cybersecurity basics to understanding cloud fundamentals and navigating vendor contracts. No jargon. No prerequisites.
Offered monthly in partnership with local business associations, chambers of commerce, and community organizations.
Education Funding Reform Advocacy
Jane Harbert is a vocal advocate for restructuring how public education is funded in America. The Initiative supports policy efforts to decouple school funding from local property taxes — so that a child's access to technology and quality education is not determined by the wealth of their neighborhood.
Katalyst partners with education policy organizations and community advocates across West Virginia, Kentucky, Florida, and nationally.
Community Office Hours & Partnerships
Free monthly office hours where anyone — student, educator, small business owner, or community member — can bring their technology questions and get honest, vendor-neutral answers. Organizations that share Katalyst's mission can also partner to bring the Initiative to their communities.
Held virtually and at rotating community locations throughout West Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida.
Built for the Communities That Need It Most
The Katalyst Education Initiative prioritizes communities that have been systematically excluded from the technology revolution.
Students in underfunded schools
Children in low-income districts who deserve the same AI tools, devices, and digital infrastructure as their peers in wealthier zip codes.
Small business owners
Entrepreneurs and operators making technology decisions without a dedicated IT team — and without the knowledge to protect themselves from bad vendors.
Minority-owned businesses
Business owners from communities that have been underrepresented in — and underserved by — the technology industry for generations.
Educators & community organizations
Teachers, administrators, and civic leaders who need practical technology knowledge to serve their students and constituents more effectively.
Get Involved
Whether you want to attend a workshop, bring the initiative to your school or community, support the program as a partner, or join the advocacy effort — we'd love to hear from you.