RMC Changing The Course

The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on several unaddressed and underlying issues in Detroit – internet accessibility being one of the most severe. Too many Detroit residents are caught in a “digital divide,” excluding them from opportunities for education, employment and belonging afforded to those with the ability to get online.

In 2020, the Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA TOUR® event and title sponsor Rocket Mortgage® made the strategic decision to address this inequity by launching its multiyear “Changing the Course” initiative. Changing the Course was created to raise awareness of the digital divide and support transformational efforts to ensure all residents of the community received access to the digital resources they deserve.

The first year of the Changing the Course initiative proved monumental by providing the necessary funding to launch Connect 313, a city-wide, data-driven digital inclusion strategy. Managed by the United Way of Southeastern Michigan, Connect 313 coordinates investments into Detroit-based nonprofits to increase access to technology, internet and digital literacy resources. The Rocket Mortgage Classic again allocated funding to support Connect 313 in 2021, for a total contribution of nearly $3 million to Connect 313 across 2 years.

This commercial promoted the importance and impact of the Changing the Course initiative by showing what happens when we’re not connected. The spot opens with a series of bright smiling faces filling the screen as a teacher begins her virtual class. Yet a closer look reveals several screens remain empty. These are the students who don’t have reliable devices or internet access.

The spot goes on to explain how Detroit is the least connected major city in America and how the Rocket Mortgage Classic is working to “change the course” by investing in programs and partnerships that will bridge the digital divide. By the end of the spot, we return to the classroom where the once-absent students are now appearing, completing the picture and showing that we’re all stronger when we’re all connected.