The Community Data Clinic (CDC), a mixed methods data studies and interdisciplinary community research lab led by Associate Professor Anita Say Chan, has released the first episode of its new podcast, ConnectED: Tech for All. Community partners on the podcast include the Housing Authority of Champaign County, Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, Project Success of Vermilion County, and Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office.
Under Chan's direction, a team of students collaborated to generate this new resource. The team included PhD student and program manager Julian Chin, MSLIS student Evan Allgood, iSchool undergraduate students Aisaiah Pellecer, Harshitha Vetrivel, Kaylee Janakos, and Lauren Ravury, and College of Media undergraduate William Schermer.
ConnectED: Tech for All is a podcast that dives into the heart of East Central Illinois communities. In each episode, the podcast spotlights how local community resources and programs have transformed the lives of our neighbors. Whether an educational program, essential community services, or a grassroots initiative, the podcast aims to connect listeners with critical tools and promote conversations about digital equity, literacy, and access.
The first episode, “A Convo about Education with Jessica Black,” follows a conversation about accessible educational opportunities and programs in East Central Illinois. Black, a Mahomet, Illinois, native who formerly served as a case manager for Cunningham Township and Planned Parenthood, is now a fellow for Lead For America under the American Connection Corps. This episode highlights various free and low-cost educational resources for adults that are offered through institutions such as Parkland College and Cunningham Township as well as Black’s experience as a graduate of the Odyssey Project at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which offers a free humanities education to residents of East Central Illinois. Through discussing her personal experiences as a student or steward of these programs, Black opens up a broader conversation about inclusivity, accessibility, enjoyment, and community in relation to education in a post-COVID-19 environment.
You can find the episode on Spotify and on the Community Data Clinic website.