Arizona State University and the Marconi Society Announce Digital Inclusion Leadership Certificate
Marconi Society Contact: Yeimidy Lagunas, Program Director, ylagunas@marconisociety.org
Arizona State University Contact: Karen Mossberger, Director, Center on Technology, Data and Society Karen.Mossberger@asu.edu
August 24, 2023 – Arizona State University (ASU) and the Marconi Society are launching a first-of-its-kind Digital Inclusion Leadership Certificate to provide a foundational understanding of the technology, policy and digital inclusion essentials needed to create true digital equity. The fall cohort of this program begins on September 18 and is now open for enrollment.
“As billions of dollars in federal and state funding become available, the US faces a critical shortage of people who understand the interdisciplinary issues associated with broadband access, affordability and adoption,” said Karen Mossberger, Director of ASU’s Center on Technology, Data, and Society. “Our research shows that broadband and its inclusive adoption and use have substantial benefits for communities as well as individuals. No community can afford to be left behind, and this program prepares leaders with the tools they need to ensure full participation.”
The Digital Inclusion Leadership Certificate is the country’s first professional certificate in the field and will educate individuals and teams at all levels of government, as well as in nonprofits and other anchor institutions – such as libraries, housing authorities, and healthcare organizations – who are working with historically marginalized populations that lack broadband and the opportunities it delivers. The Certificate combines newly created curriculum, compelling videos, and cohort conversations that will create peer groups that work together over the long term to exchange best practices and new ideas.
“Digital equity demands a team effort that integrates technology, policy, and grassroots digital inclusion,” said Vint Cerf, recent Chair of the Marconi Society and a featured expert in the curriculum. “The Marconi Society has worked with ASU to assemble a “dream team” of over 50 experts who share their practical experience so that those working in this new field can be equipped with the fundamentals they need for success.”
Program participants will learn from some of the most prestigious people in the field, including:
- Jordana Barton-Garcia, Senior Fellow, Connect Humanity
- Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
- Kathryn de Wit, Project Director, Broadband Access Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Joshua Edmonds, Director, Digital C (formerly City of Detroit Director of Digital Inclusion)
- Lev Gonick, Chief Information Officer, ASU
- Larry Irving, President and CEO, the Irving Group (formerly assistant secretary of US Department of Commerce, NTIA)
- Chris Lewis, President and CEO, Public Knowledge
- Milo Medin, Distinguished Engineer, Schmidt Futures
- Christopher Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ISLR)
- Traci Morris, Executive Director, American Indian Policy Institute, ASU
- Samantha Schartman, Director, Philanthropic Programs, Connect Humanity
- Angela Siefer, Executive Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)
- John Windhausen, Executive Director, Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition
“As unprecedented digital equity funding is flowing now, we are also looking to the future. How can we create robust digital inclusion ecosystems? How will we sustain this movement?” said Angela Siefer of NDIA. “Programs like the Digital Inclusion Leadership Certificate will help build the digital inclusion field and the expertise we need to continue moving forward.”
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a leader in online education and ranked #1 in innovation by US News and World Report. ASU’s charter states that we measure our success not by whom we exclude, by whom we include and how they succeed; and the university’s work in digital equity is a part of this commitment. This certificate is offered by the Center on Technology, Data and Society in the School of Public Affairs.
About the Marconi Society
The Marconi Society envisions a world in which all people can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The foundation celebrates, inspires and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.
