Digital equity and inclusion are on the tip of everyone’s tongues as the federal government rolls out millions in grant funding to support broadband infrastructure. The moment is ripe to solve one of the biggest human rights issues of the past three decades: connecting the under- and unconnected. Lighting up the future is not as simple as flipping on a switch. Equal access to high-speed internet does not translate to equity. Once communities, institutions and individuals have the technology, what will they do with it to better their lives?
In these 1-hour virtual sessions, explore the journeys of local Arizona communities who are successfully engaging in efforts to connect more residents, including entire villages and school districts -- and build upon them collaboratively. Break out into virtual roundtables to help our partner network (Arizona State University, Arizona Commerce Authority and Sun Corridor Network) design its strategy for connecting thousands more households and helping them take advantage of their technology access. Each local community then becomes a seed that can be nurtured and scaled regionally and globally.
The first set of roundtables will feature Maryvale, located in Phoenix.