Community Broadband Networks as Sites for Learning

Join us on December 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET for a webinar about community broadband networks as sites for learning. These networks invite community members to plan, build, and maintain broadband service, particularly in places with a great need for no-cost internet access. Through participation, community members can learn about the technical and social aspects of the network, make decisions about managing and expanding the network, and build skills to sustain operations. 

Available on the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s YouTube page, the webinar will feature leaders from three networks: Community Tech New York, Philly Community Wireless, and Seattle Community Network. The panelists will share information and lessons about how network leaders can best engage their neighbors, the kinds of learning opportunities that community members value, and how their experiences can inform the broader digital inclusion community.

Dr. Caroline Stratton, Research Director at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, will moderate a discussion with:

• Dr. Esther Jang, founder of Seattle Community Network and a postdoc in Computer Science at the University of Washington. Dr. Jang is a Benton Opportunity Fund Fellow.
• Monique Tate, co-director of Community Tech New York and a Benton Opportunity Fund Fellow. She previously managed a community network with the Equitable Internet Initiative in Detroit. 
• Dr. Alex Wermer-Colan, co-founder and executive director of Philly Community Wireless. Dr. Wermer-Colan is the Academic and Research Director of Temple University Libraries’ Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio. 

Tune in to learn more about how community broadband networks are locally responsive and empower their neighbors with access and knowledge.