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The goal of the Google Fiber Blog is to keep you updated on what’s happening and give you a look at how our customers are using Google Fiber.  From time to time, we ask our partners to tell us in their words what connection means to them.  Today, we’re excited to host Averie Phimmarah from Charlotte to tell us more about Digi-Bridge’s Daddy Daughter Code In and her experience there. 

My name is Averie Phimmarah. I’m in the 4th grade and I love my family! I have one older sister and one older brother. The Daddy Daughter Code-In on June 2nd will be the 4th Code-In I’ve been in with Digi-Bridge and Google Fiber. 

I don’t always get to spend a lot of time with my Dad so the Code-Ins are a great way for me and my sister to have him all to ourselves. I love when he helps us work through the Code-In activities. I feel like an engineer working through each challenge. My favorite Code-In activity was taking vinegar, food coloring and baking soda to make bubble bombs! Every Code-In has different activities and the parts that are the most fun are getting to try new things with my Dad’s help and the cotton candy. Even if I don’t get the activity to work like I want it to, it is still fun because I am with my family and friends. 

When I grow up I want to work on electronics and be a construction worker. I go to the Code-Ins because I get to practice those things now. I think all girls should go to the Daddy Daughter Code-In so they can feel what it’s like to be an engineer and problem solver AND you get all the cotton candy you can eat.

If you want to sign up for the June 2nd Daddy Daughter Code-In at our Uptown Charlotte Fiber Space, please sign up here. If you are interested in similar programming, check out CS First, Made with Code, or Be Internet Awesome. 



Posted by Averie Phimmarah, Charlotte, NC, 4th grader


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This year we kicked off Digital Inclusion Week by publishing our 2017 Community Impact Report but that was just the beginning of Google Fiber’s involvement in this national initiative. Across the country, each of our Fiber cities found ways to support digital literacy trainings and connect more people to super fast Internet.

Seeing the rich stories of communities coming together to work on digital equity during Digital Inclusion Week, and the large scale of participants across the country, gives me great optimism about the future of our work and a bit of personal pride. In 2016, when I was working as a Digital Inclusion Fellow -- a program co-founded and supported by Google Fiber and managed by the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) -- I worked alongside local and national partners like the National Digital Inclusion Alliance to organize the country’s first Digital Inclusion Day. Now, just a couple of years later, I’m a Community Impact Manager at Google Fiber and the day has grown into a full week of activities across dozens of U.S. cities.

Working with local partners, my fellow Google Fiber Community Impact Managers and I have taken action to mark #DIW2018 across the country:
  • In Austin, we partnered with the Community Tech Network to teach seniors basic digital literacy skills. 
  • In Charlotte, we announced a new Community Connection at The Nest Learning Lab at CAMP North End, as well as partnering with E2D on their annual “E-lemonade the digital divide” event.
  • In Louisville, we launched a Community Connection at the new entrepreneurial incubator at Love City, Inc. in the Portland neighborhood.
  • In Provo, we had a full week of #ProvoGotSkills activities with partners like the United Way of Utah County, Mountainland Head Start, the Provo City Library, and the Provo City School District.
  • In Salt Lake City, we hosted Google Expeditions at Riley Elementary and supported workshops hosted by Salt Lake City and County public library branches.
  • In San Antonio, we sponsored UpgradeSA’s lunchtime discussion about closing the city’s digital divide.
Check out the photo gallery below of many of these activities. Thank you to all our partners who help us connect our communities!
Cutting the ribbon on our newest Community Connection at Love City in Louisville with Mayor Greg Fischer.
Charlotte, NC Mayor Vi Lyles helps residents at our new Community Connection at The Nest.

Tackling digital inclusion with UpgradeSA in San Antonio.


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Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi takes a selfie with seniors after a YouTube tutorial at the Provo Rec Center.

Posted by Daniel Lucio, Community Impact Manager - Austin

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Today is the first day of Digital Inclusion Week 2018 -- a national week of events to increase awareness and action to ensure everyone has access to the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy and economy -- sponsored by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.




At Google Fiber, we are proud to support organizations and activities participating in #DIW2018 across the country. To kick off this important week, we are thrilled to share our 2017 Community Impact Report.




Each year, we are humbled by the groundbreaking work of our community partners across the country, and 2017 was no exception. These partners roll up their sleeves, undaunted by challenges, and improve their neighbors’ access to opportunities. They find creative ways to advance digital inclusion. They hustle to empower more students with STEM programs. They ignite innovation and entrepreneurship -- especially in under-resourced schools and neighborhoods. In short, they make their cities a better place.




We are privileged to collaborate with them, and to bring our Faster, Fairer, Kinder Internet to support their efforts. As a result of our work together in 2017:


  • 2,600 families in affordable housing can access the power of Fiber Internet in their homes at no cost via our Gigabit Communities program -- 600 new families’ homes were connected in 2017 alone.
  • Through our Community Connections program, we provided super fast Internet to 54 new public hubs like libraries and nonprofits. 
  • 5,000 students and parents engaged in our STEM programs last year, reaching new horizons through Made with Code, Create Your World, and Google Expeditions.



Check out the full report to for more details about this work and to read stories from each our Fiber cities. Let’s make the most of this week and every week to get more people connected for the good of our communities.



Posted by Parisa Fatehi-Weeks, Head of Community Impact Strategy

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