Maricopa County Digital Storytelling
The Maricopa County Digital Storytelling project, featured on the AZ-1 web portal, highlights the impact of broadband internet access on education, business, and wellness in Maricopa County, Arizona. It shares stories of community members benefiting from having broadband access, such as telehealth and 5G technology for startups. This initiative is part of the university’s efforts to demonstrate the importance of accelerating digital equity in the State of Arizona.
The Maricopa County Digital Storytelling project creates and publishes stories on the AZ-1 (pronounced as “as one”) web portal, to demonstrate the impact of broadband internet access on education, business, and wellness in Arizona. This project is part of the university’s broader initiative to promote digital equity in Maricopa County.
The team at Next Lab interviews diverse community members who have benefitted from accessing the internet for various reasons, from using telehealth to creating startups based on new technology products that use 5G connection. They write feature articles that are published on the AZ-1 website, which serves as a centralized location of stories and efforts around broadband initiatives, making it easier for community members to access resources and decision-makers to accelerate digital equity in the State of Arizona.
Sample Stories:
1. Future engineers learn technology skills together “As One”: ASU Preparatory Academy and Girls Who Code have teamed up to prepare future leaders of STEM with valuable tools
2. Learning through educational innovation: From 5G connections, to Roblox game design, to providing sight through technology
3. Empowering Mesa’s workforce with fiber optic technicians: Baltu Technologies and Downtown Mesa Library are using VR and AR to prepare for an infrastructural evolution
Project showcase:
Launch date:
- August 2024
Creators:
- Ashlynn Dang
- Caleb Lieberman
- Lakshya Dharwal
- Meredith Woodward
- Shelby Cavanaugh Toft