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Although internet access and affordability are increasingly at the center of policy decisions around issues of the “digital divide” in the US, the complex nature of usage as it relates to structural inequality is not well-understood. We partnered with Project Waves, a community internet provider, to set up connectivity across the urban landscape of a city in the Eastern United States to study factors that impact the rollout of affordable broadband internet connectivity to low-income communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization endeavored to meet structural challenges, provide community support for adoption, and stave off attendant privacy concerns. We present three dimensions of equitable use prioritized by the community internet provider: safety from COVID-19 through social distancing enabled by remote access, trusted connectivity, and private internet access. We use employee interviews and a phone survey of internet recipients to investigate how the provider prioritized these dimensions and who uses their service. 

Digital technological advancements have been a driving force in the continued evolution of the modern workplace. One notable change is an increased reliance on informal chatting tools in support of both distributed and co-located work. However, while researchers have recognized the growing prominence of these tools in work, little is known about how to best support youth who have grown up with access to interconnected technologies in acquiring and practicing the relevant skills needed to effectively communicate using these tools. In this study, we studied youth's utilization of Slack, a popular workplace chatting tool, in an after-school 3D print shop. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews, we uncovered the factors that supported or hindered youth employees' Slack use in a technical work context. This work offers implications for how to design youth workplace communication and coordination protocols that support the needs of this population. 

Informal learning environments play a critical role in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning across the lifespan and are consequential in informing public understanding and engagement. This can be difficult to accomplish in life science where expertise thresholds and logistics involved with handling biological materials can restrict access. Community laboratories are informal learning environments that provide access to the resources necessary to carry out pursuits using enabling biotechnologies. We investigate a group of these spaces in order to ascertain how this occurs—with specific attention to how material and intellectual resources are structured and shape learning. Using surveys and focus group interviews, we explore a group of these spaces located in the United States. We found that the spaces examined offer learning activities that are sufficiently scaffolded and flexible as to promote personalized and community-driven practice. We discuss these findings in relation to informal learning environment design and learning.