Tucker, GA — Atlanta native and Tucker High School graduate Oneisha Freeman has been named a 2021 Google Fiber Digital Inclusion Fellow, according to a press release.

“Google Fiber co-founded the Digital Inclusion Fellows program with NTEN to grow the community of digital literacy leaders, advocates and practitioners across the country,” the press release says. “Since 2015, 75 Fellows have been working with local nonprofit organizations and institutions to create and manage digital inclusion programs.”

She is one of  15 Digital Fellows this year, and she serves as the Director of Partnerships and Programs with Atlanta-based InspiredU, a non-profit organization supporting area youth, families, schools and communities by providing direct access to technology and skills, the press release says. She’s a fourth-generation Atlantan and “Grady Baby.” Before joining InspiredU, she served four years in the U.S. Army Reserves as a Logistical Specialist.

In an interview with Tucker Observer, Freeman said her organization promotes “digital literacy.”

“When I think of digital literacy, I think of understanding how to use technology, to get to the information you need, to get to the resources you need to empower yourself with technology,” she said. “Whether it’s getting a college degree, learning something new, or getting resources to medical or mental health, I think you cannot be illiterate when it comes to digital technology especially when you are a parent, and you are raising the next generation of leaders in our country, because technology is going to be such a huge part of their life. To keep them safe, to keep you safe, the need to know how to tap into technology.”

She said that the Digital Inclusion Fellows Program will boost the profile of her organization and provide critical resources.

“We have been in the city for a long time, but people still have never heard of us,” Freeman said. “Just the fact that we can get that awareness and exposure is a huge plus, but more importantly they’re going to provide me and my team a lot of support around project design and project management.”

Here are more facts about the Digital Inclusion Fellows Program:

What the program provides

– Training in best practices in digital inclusion, digital literacy, adult education, curriculum development, and program management.

– Evaluation tools to assess a program’s progress.

– Opportunities to present at conferences and publish articles about the program.

– Coaching to support fellows throughout the yearlong fellowship.

– Resources and guides, including toolkits, connections to experts in the field, and curricula.

– Visibility on a national scale as digital inclusion trailblazers.

The program’s impact

– More than 250,000 people participated in programming funded by Google Fiber

– Even with the challenges of the pandemic, partners provided 124,000 hours of digital literacy training both virtually and in person, and prepared more than 3,000 new volunteer trainers to pay this work forward

– Partners distributed over 8,500 devices to help people get online

– More than 700 job seekers gained employment through funded programming

– Entrepreneurship programs led to 43 new businesses

– More than 6,000 people connected new internet service in their homes

Source: Google Fiber

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