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Transcript

Valerie Fuller (intro): 

You’re tuned in to the Clayton Connected podcast in Clayton County where the world lands and opportunities take off. 

Valerie: 

I’m your hostess Valerie Fuller, Communications Administrator in the Office of Communications for Clayton County, Georgia, where the world lands and opportunities take off. In the Clayton Connected Podcast studio today we have with us the Digital Equity Administrator Takiyah Thomas. Welcome. We are so glad to have you back on our station today. 

Takiyah Thomas: 

Thank you.  

Valerie: 

You are here to tell us all about the Digital Equity, Digital Inclusion Week 2026.  

Takiyah: 

Yes ma’am. 

Valerie: 

What is Digital Inclusion Week 2026? What is it all about?  

Takiyah: 

So Digital Inclusion Week is a national awareness week where we raise awareness about digital inclusion and digital inequities, which you may know is the difference between people who have access to the internet, digital skills, digital devices, and people who don’t. And we also use that week to do giveaways, community involvement, and just generally celebrate our public, the ones who have been supportive of our initiative that helps them.  

Valerie: 

Yeah, it’s truly an educational process and this is not a hit-or-miss. This is not a one-time event or deal. The Digital Equity Office is strategically formulating different events and activities and trainings throughout the year, right?  

Takiyah: 

Right.  

Valerie: 

There are numerous events planned throughout the Digital Inclusion Week for 2026, something for everyone. Tell us about the event that’s planned for the seniors specifically with Digital Literacy Workshop.  

Takiyah: 

So, we, one of our partners, Inspire EDU, who have gifted us with many digital devices over the past four years, they have set up a workshop for the seniors. 25 seniors will be able to go to Atlanta to participate in a digital skills workshop and they’ll come home with a free laptop. 

Valerie: 

This is very good because our seniors are so in tune in the community. They try to make it to all the different events and activities and so we don’t want to leave anyone out. And so those seniors have registered for this event?  

Takiyah: 

Right. 

 Valerie: 

So, in reference to the registration, when we talk about registration, this is not a y’all-come-type thing, right? What are the eligibility requirements for the participants like the seniors?  

Takiyah: 

So, there is a registration form that was filled out through the senior centers. So, they have been vetted to make sure that they’re eligible for the program. 

Valerie: 

And you also have other events and activities throughout the week from Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, all the way through Saturday through Digital Inclusion Week 2026. 

What about the Digital Equity Town Hall Meet? What’s involved in that?  

Takiyah: 

So, it will be about data centers and that’s something that we know a lot of people are interested in.  

 Valerie: 

It is definitely a hot topic.  

Takiyah: 

Mm-hmm. So we’re gonna have a panel where we’ll discuss how it affects the environment, what it looks like for Clayton County, what a data center is, what it’s not. And we’ll have representatives come in from Georgia Power, the Water Authority, one from our own commission, Board of Commissioners, and a data center representative.  

Valerie: 

So, a full panel, different perspectives. Will, at the particular town hall that’s planned for that particular day, will citizens, residents be able to ask questions?  

Takiyah: 

So, we will have a question and answer toward the end. And we also have set up on our registration page where you can ask your questions up front. And if for any reason they’re not answered during the town hall, we’ll post it later with all the answers. 

Valerie: 

And is the town hall going to be live streamed by chance?  

Takiyah: 

It will. 

Valerie: 

So, for those people who cannot make it, you can also log in. What access? Do we have an access channel? 

Takiyah: 

It should be on our Digital Inclusion Week page. It’s a Zoom link where they can access the meeting virtually.  

Valerie: 

Right. So for those that can’t make it, you can log on virtually to be able to access the meeting and we’ll have some details published also to the public so that you can access it. 

So don’t feel like you have to physically be there. You can also tune in online or show up in person.  And then on Thursday you have AI at Home, Everyday Help with Microsoft Co-Pilot. 

Lots of people are interested in learning about AI and you have a partnership going with the university and public school system? 

Takiyah: 

Yes. So, we’re really excited about that. We were invited by the school system to collab on this Clayton State and public-school initiative and it’s through Microsoft. 

So, it will teach families how to use Co-Pilot at home for different tasks.  

 Valerie: 

So, like we said from the beginning, there’s something for everybody, but you’re not done yet. Friday you have Future Mind Social, a fun tech game night. What’s that all about?  

Takiyah: 

So, it’s a social for the kids. So, it’s that last day of school before they go to fall break the following week and there’ll be a trivia game. They’ll have pizza and we have a representative coming in that’s going to teach children how to use AI responsibly and to use it for good. 

Valerie: 

I like that word responsibly. I like that word. We got to train them up. 

Takiyah: 

Mm-hmm. 

Valerie: 

So, still not done. Now we have the fourth annual Office of Digital Equity Block Party and E-Drive. Lots of people turn out for this. This is the fourth year that you’ve actually done the block party. Tell the residents what they can expect. 

Takiyah: 

Okay so yes, it’s our fourth year and each year we try to make it better than the last. It is a family-friendly event; so we’ll have food, games, music, do your favorite line dance, bring your fans and we’ll have vendors and they’ll provide free information to the community. Of course, we’ll have some giveaways and probably the most important thing I want everyone to remember about the block party is that we’ll have a E-Drive set up. So, our partners at Inspire EDU, the ones that are providing the laptops to the seniors, they’ll have bins set up where we can collect donations of gently used technology and they refurbish them and redistribute them back into different communities. So, they can bring their gently used technology devices to donate to the E-Drive.  

Valerie: 

Right. Absolutely. Is there anything that they should not bring? 

Takiyah: 

So, they do not accept TVs and CRT monitors.  

Valerie: 

Please don’t bring those televisions. Don’t bring those big heavy monitors. You know, stick to the gently used technology, the devices, cell phones 

Takiyah: 

Yep, headphones, speakers, printers, any type of technology.  

Valerie: 

Thank you so much. So where can residents go to register to participate in this event?  

Takiyah: 

So, the link is tinyurl.com forward slash ClaytonDIW26 and DIW is for Digital Inclusion Week.  

Valerie: 

So that’s tinyurl.com forward slash ClaytonDIW26 and in case you missed that you can also go to the claytoncountyga.gov website to find out more information about Digital Inclusion Week 2026. Ms. Takiyah Thomas, in as the Digital Equity Administrator, thank you for the job that you’re doing for Clayton County. Our Clayton County Board of Commissioners absolutely are on board with all those things that will further our residents in their knowledge in the digital space and we thank you for the job that you’re doing as well as our new CIO who is Ms. Misty Pearson who is now on the team and so we look forward to this event. What’s the one thing you want to remind people about for Digital Equity Inclusion Week? 

 Takiyah: 

I want people to remember that this is an important work that we’re doing and it’s for them and it’s a free resource to our community to make sure that they have the access that they need in different ways whether it be technology, internet, or just having common skills to be able to navigate the digital world. That’s our end-of-the-day plan. We want you all to be able to navigate the digital world.  

Valerie: 

Exactly. Thank you so much for joining us here. Ms. Takiyah Thomas, Digital Equity Administrator, we will be happy to have you back again because we know this is not it. You work throughout the year so we’re happy to have you anytime here on the Clayton Connected podcast.  

Takiyah: 

Thank you. 

Valerie (outro): 

I’m your hostess Valerie Fuller. Thank you for listening to the Clayton Connected podcast in Clayton County Georgia where the world lands and opportunities take off.