Digital Inclusion Day

National Digital Inclusion Day
Join us Friday, May 13th for the first National Digital Inclusion Day as we focus attention on empowering under-connected communities through increased internet access and usage. NDIA invites you to participate in a nationwide Twitter Town Hall at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET to discuss the impact digital access and skills can have on society, families and individuals.

Twitter Town Hall (10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET)
You can join the Twitter Town Hall discussion by submitting questions and offering stories at #digitalinclusion. By joining the Twitter Town Hall, your organization will help to create a unified voice for digital inclusion programs and leaders around the country. More importantly, by participating in this day of action your organization will gain exposure as a leader in the digital inclusion movement. Discussion topics include: 

  • Home Broadband Access
  • Local Technology Training
  • Access to Low or No Cost Devices
  • Local Policies
  • Future of Digital Inclusion

Moderator

Amy Sample-Ward (@NTENorg)
CEO, Nonprofit Technology Network
In addition to serving as NTEN’s CEO, she is a speaker, author, and trainer having worked with groups and spoken at events around the world. Amy is dedicated to educating and supporting organizations in using technology to create meaningful community engagement and make lasting change.

Speakers

Kami Griffiths (@kamigriffiths)
Executive director and Co-founder, Community Technology Network
With nearly 15 years of experience working in the public sector, Kami has developed a passion for helping people gain access and better utilize technology, after witnessing firsthand how the digital divide and low literacy levels were aiding the cycle of poverty. She is a founding member of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and speaks nationally about digital inclusion.  

Diana Rodriguez (@dianar927)
Director, Digital Learning and Technology, Youth Policy Institute
Diana leads digital inclusion efforts for the Los Angeles-based nonprofit, Youth Policy Institute. Her programs reach youth and adults throughout the city thanks to partnerships with local schools, community-based organizations, low-income housing developments, and city departments. 

Jacqueline Campbell (@JacqueCampbell3 )
Jacqueline Campbell is currently studying for her CompTIA A+ certification at Byte Back, a nonprofit dedicated to improving economic opportunity by providing computer training, access to technology, and career preparation for low-income residents of the Washington, DC metro area. Like many caught in the digital divide, she was without computer and internet access at home until this year.

Michael Liimatta (@mliimatta)
ConnectHome Manager, U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
A visionary leader and social entrepreneur for over 30 years in the private sector, Michael is currently with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  He serves as manager of the ConnectHome Initiative, a White House and HUD pilot program that is expanding broadband adoption for school children in living in public housing in 27 U.S. cities and the Choctaw Nation.  Until last year, he was President and co-founder of Connecting for Good. Established in 2011, the organization is bridging the Digital Divide in Kansas City through wireless Internet connectivity, community technology centers, low cost refurbished computers and free digital life skills classes.

Andrew Bentley (@AndrewBentley) 
Digital Inclusion Program Manager, Google Fiber
Andrew, who lives in NYC, is on the Community Impact Team at Google Fiber, Alphabet’s startup high-speed Internet provider. He is working on strategy for social good programming in Google Fiber cities, with a focus on digital inclusion, the process of addressing the digital divide. In his role he forms partnerships with local community based organizations, city governments, universities, foundations and local Google Fiber staff to increase residential broadband adoption in underserved communities. He also spent two of his years at Google based in São Paulo, Brazil, helping to build a Latin American sales team. An advocate for health equity, in 2008 Andrew co-founded Global Health Corps, a nonprofit that trains and mobilizes innovative, young leaders via a fellowship program in six countries to improve health access and outcomes. In 2008 Andrew worked as a Get Out the Vote Field Organizer for the Obama campaign, helping to run a field office on the east side of Cleveland. Before joining Google, he graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2006 with a minor in Political Science. Andrew grew up in Madison, WI.

Participating Organizations

  • Austin Free-Net
  • Austin Pathways & Housing Authority of the City of Austin
  • Ashbury Senior Computer Community Center
  • Axiom Technologies
  • Benton Foundation
  • Birmingham Public Library (Alabama)
  • Black Family Technology Awareness Association
  • Byte Back, Inc.
  • California Emerging Technology Fund
  • Central New York Library Resources Council
  • ChunriChoupaal’s The Code To Change 
  • City of Atlanta Parks & Recreation
  • City of Austin
  • City of Portland
  • Community Technology Network
  • Connect Ohio
  • Connect Your Community
  • Connected Nation, Inc.
  • Connecting For Good
  • DANEnet
  • EveryoneOn
  • Free Geek
  • The Full Employment Council
  • Inclusive Technologies
  • Knowblity.org
  • Kramden Institute
  • Latinitas
  • Literacy Kansas City
  • Martha O’Bryan Center
  • Media Alliance
  • Mississippi State University Extension – Intelligent Community Institute 
  • Mobile Beacon 
  • Nashville Public Library
  • National Digital Inclusion Alliance
  • New Haven Free Public Library 
  • Next Century Cities
  • Vermont Library Association
  • Next Century Cities
  • Mississippi State University Extension – Intelligent Community Institute 
  • Mobile Beacon
  • Benton Foundation
  • National Housing Conference
  • Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN)
  • Northampton Community Television
  • People’s Resource Center
  • PowerMyLearning
  • Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative (RIFLI)
  • Smart Chicago
  • Social Rise
  • Tech Goes Home
  • TechBoomers.com
  • Technology For All
  • University of Washington

New to Twitter?
Twitter Town Hall Basics – A guide for those who are new to Twitter or Twitter Town Halls. 

Pro Tips – A guide for those looking to get the most out  of the Twitter Town Hall.

 

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Jim Tobias (@inclutech)
Inclusive Technologies
Jim Tobias has worked on accessible technologies for seniors and people with disabilities for more than 35 years, in both the private and public sectors; clients have included the US Access Board, Cisco Systems, US Department of Education, HP, Microsoft, and Verizon.

Emy Tseng (@EmyTseng)
Senior Broadband Program Specialist, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce and Affiliate, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University. Emy leads the digital inclusion technical assistance efforts for BroadbandUSA, NTIA’s program that provides assistance to communities that want to expand their broadband capacity and promote broadband adoption.  At the Berkman Center, her work focuses on Inclusive Innovation – how marginalized communities create, adapt and use technology to further their own goals.