Building for Digital Equity Podcast Returns

Our Building for Digital Equity podcast series is back.

Featuring short interviews with digital inclusion practitioners from across the nation, we are set to launch a brand new season that focuses on the frontline work to expand Internet access, address affordability, and help provide the digital skills and devices necessary to fully participate in a digital world.

The first episode of 2024 features an insightful conversation with Pierrette Renée Dagg, Director of Research for the MERIT Network in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

Pierrette discusses the importance of using research to inform community engagement and digital equity strategies, as well as the use of community-facing research methods like surveys and qualitative/quantitative analysis. She also highlights the importance of considering broader systemic issues that should be taken into account when forming digital equity strategies.

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Our regular followers may recall her appearance on Episode 449 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast back in March of 2021 where she and John Egelhaaf share the history of efforts in Berrien County, Michigan, and how a group of residents and local officials first began pursuing better Internet connectivity.

Pierrette was also on a panel at Net Inclusion 2024 called, “Building Research and Data-Backed Digital Equity Strategies,” that focused on the critical role of research and data in shaping effective digital equity strategies. The panel also highlighted the journey of designing and integrating research methodologies into sustainable digital equity work. The live stream recording of that panel can be found here.

You can listen to the B4DE podcast below or put this feed into your podcast app. Also don’t forget to visit our B4DE podcast page for this and future episodes.