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Apply for the 2021 Digital Inclusion Fellowship

By: Leana Mayzlina
Posted on

While many activities and resources have moved online over the past decade, the pandemic forced institutions to offer all their services digitally. The attempt elevated the public’s awareness of digital inequity. Whether it was trying to attend classes, apply for government benefits, or practice religion, many people were excluded from fully participating in their communities.

Despite needing to access online services, almost a quarter of U.S. adults do not use home broadband. And even those who are comfortable navigating online find their internet connections taxed as multiple family members try to make simultaneous video calls.

NTEN has long advocated that every organization needs to recognize the role of digital equity in meeting its mission. Our Digital Inclusion Fellowship is an excellent opportunity to expand your organization’s programming and strengthen community ties. We are thrilled to open applications today for fellows in the following cities:

  • Atlanta, GA: 1 position (sponsored by Google Fiber)
  • Austin, TX: 1 position (sponsored by Google Fiber)
  • Cleveland, OH: 2 positions (sponsored by The Cleveland Foundation)
  • Huntsville, AL: 1 position (sponsored by Google Fiber)
  • Kansas City, MO: 1 position (sponsored by Google Fiber)
  • Nashville, TN: 1 position (sponsored by Google Fiber)
  • Provo, UT: 1 position (sponsored by Google Fiber)
  • Salt Lake City, UT: 2 positions (sponsored by Google Fiber)
  • San Antonio, TX: 1 position (sponsored by Google Fiber)

About the fellowship

Launched in 2015 in partnership with Google Fiber, the Digital Inclusion Fellowship builds capacity and leadership in nonprofits to address digital inequity in their communities. Fellows join a yearlong, project-based, professional development cohort. They create and implement ambitious projects to increase opportunities for adults in their communities to learn essential digital skills and receive grants to help launch their programs.

Previous fellows have implemented impressive and groundbreaking projects. Ellie Avis, a fellow in Josephine County, OR, launched a hotspot lending program that allows library patrons to bring their connectivity home. She also launched Tech Time, an opportunity for community members to ask tech questions, and developed a volunteer program that supports library patrons in navigating their devices. Felicia Tillman, a fellow from Atlanta, formed partnerships to bring digital literacy training to uniquely sweet spaces. You can read more about past fellows’ projects (and get inspired to start your own!) in our Digital Inclusion Toolkit and fact sheets.

Learn more

  1. Read full details about the application process and the required commitment.
  2. Read about former fellow projects in their own words.
  3. Watch the recording of a May 20 Q&A call discussing the benefits of the fellowship and how to apply.

We are deeply grateful to our 2021 sponsors, Google Fiber and the Cleveland Foundation, for committing to digital equity and supporting the Digital Inclusion Fellowship.

Leana Mayzlina
Senior Program Manager
NTEN

I'm passionate about embracing technology to achieve transformative social change. I believe that solutions to some of the world's biggest challenges can be found in grassroots communities from Chile to Kenya and that technology is the megaphone for their voice and agency.

Before NTEN, I was the Digital Action Campaigns Manager for World Pulse, where I developed international initiatives to deliver grassroots women leaders' testimonies and visions to decision-makers and influential forums. I've been back in the Pacific Northwest for almost a decade after seven years spent working in Latin America, where I managed international cooperation programs in areas ranging from poverty alleviation to social entrepreneurship. A native of Ukraine, I speak Russian, English, Spanish, and um pouquinho de português and have a B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies from Pitzer College and an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Chile.

Outside of office hours, you're most likely to find me hiking with my rescue pup Atlas, discovering new brews (of the caffeinated kind!), and packing my backpack for my next adventure.