Google Fiber’s Community Connection program provides gigabit internet service to nonprofit partners. Today, Shaleiah Fox, Chief Advancement Officer with Thinkery, an Austin-based STEAM learning experience for children, shares how the museum is using this program to power discovery and exploration for Austin’s kids. 

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Working at Thinkery is different from any job I’ve ever had. To start, we’re the most visited cultural institution here in Austin, Texas, and we’re dedicated to inspiring joyful learning for children. In and of itself working at Thinkery is an incredibly unique experience. But it’s really being a part of a team that works to make inspiring learning accessible to all children and families here in Central Texas that makes it a dream. 

If you’ve visited our museum, you know you’re in for a day full of hands-on, thought provoking play and knowledge building. We’re a philanthropic hub for play-based STEAM learning, creativity, and imagination housed inside a 40,000 square foot facility in the heart of Austin. 

In 2013, the Austin Children's Museum rebranded to Thinkery and moved from downtown Austin to the Mueller area and became a Google Fiber Community Connection. We have a responsibility to make sure that all children in Central Texas have access to joyful learning experiences. Being a Community Connection allows us to reach more people who need to know about Thinkery and to create a more inclusive experience for them.

Inside our walls, being a Google Fiber Community Connection means keeping our kids connected to their learning pursuits. An example of this is Our Stop Motion Animation Exhibit, which allows kids to come in and create their own movies. Once they do, they can upload and send those videos to themselves or family to showcase what they’ve created. Everything we do here at Thinkery is designed so that a lifelong learning connection doesn’t stop when you leave our museum doors. In a way, our Stop Motion Animation exhibit is a physical manifestation of the way in which we keep that promise — and it’s powered by the internet. 

At the end of the day, seeing the smile on a kid’s face when they learn something new or have a new experience makes every piece of effort we put into our programming just that much more worth it. We’re incredibly proud of the work we do for our Central Texas community. 

Posted by Shaleiah Fox, Chief Advancement Officer, Thinkery 

“I’m ready to conquer it all. This is my stepping stone and I’m ready to do what’s needed to become successful.” That’s how Brionna Watters, a single mother of two, describes her outlook on life since recently becoming a resident of Foundation Communities through the organization’s Children’s HOME Initiative (CHI) for families who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.

The mission of Foundation Communities is “creating housing where families succeed.” That’s what the Austin, Texas, based nonprofit has been doing since it was founded in 1990. And thanks to decades of steady growth, it now owns and manages 26 affordable apartment communities in Austin and North Texas—19 for families and seven for single adults. Seven more affordable communities are currently in the construction or planning stages. When the construction is complete, Foundation Communities will be home to more than 8,000 people, many of whom will have come directly out of homelessness.

CHI client Brionna Watters and case manager James Ortiz pose with Brionna’s new laptop at a Foundation Communities property. 

But affordable housing is just part of the story. Over the years, Foundation Communities has also expanded its portfolio of supportive services for its residents and lower-income Central Texans. This includes educational programs like: onsite Learning Centers that provide afterschool and summer enrichment for children and higher education opportunities; financial stability programs such as free tax preparation, affordable health insurance enrollment and financial coaching; and health initiatives such as free healthy food pantries and exercise programs. All these opportunities are made possible because of the power and reliability of digital connectivity. 

“We don’t want to just provide a cheap apartment,” said Foundation Communities Executive Director Walter Moreau. “We want to provide great communities where people are proud of where they live and have opportunities right at their doorstep.” 

Foundation Communities resident Robert Rangel enjoys a book and his support animal Tony at a Foundation Communities property

As a part of that holistic support model, Brionna Watters’ family is one of those receiving a free computer from Foundation Communities which was made possible through a grant from Google Fiber, as a part of its digital inclusion efforts to increase communication and learning opportunities for lower-income Americans. Watters says for her family, the timing couldn’t be better. “I plan on going to college for real estate,” said Watters. “So, I was actually going to have to purchase a laptop.”

Each resident at Foundation Communities’ M Station Apartments also has access to high-speed internet service provided byGoogle Fiber to ensure they have internet connectivity to achieve their online goals.

James Ortiz knows firsthand how transformative Foundation Communities’ affordable housing + supportive services model can be — and how vital it is to have access to programs and resources online. His parents divorced when he was nine years old which made the family’s economic hardships even worse. Ortiz says it was very fortunate that his mother was able to get herself, him and his sister into a Foundation Communities apartment, which provided much needed stability. After graduating from college, Ortiz immediately sought employment with Foundation Communities. Now, he works as a case manager in the CHI program helping families like his overcome their struggles. 

“In this role, I have been able to work directly with a number of families, in a collaborative process that fosters individual and family growth,” said Ortiz. While this role has its challenges, the rewards I garner from the work are immeasurable.”

You can learn more about Foundation Communities and its Children’s HOME Initiative at https://foundcom.org/housing/at-risk-homeless-families/.

Posted by Norris Deajon, Communications and Marketing Manager for Foundation Communities

Today, we're featuring a guest blog post from Tom Esselman, Director of one of our amazing Kansas City community partners, PCs for People. Google Fiber works with this organization in several of our cities and have recently launched a new project in KC to help get more people online.

PCs for People Kansas City works to make digital equity a reality by getting low-cost quality computers, internet and digital literacy training into the homes of individuals, families and nonprofits with low income. Google Fiber works with this dedicated organization to help more Kansas Citians access quality internet in their homes.

One of the biggest things the pandemic made even more imperative is that access to the internet and functioning devices is critical to success. Without digital access, it’s nearly impossible for people to work remotely, apply for jobs or virtually meet a healthcare provider. For children, lack of internet and device access means they could be left behind in school.

Dating back to 2008, and to play a small part in helping close the digital divide across the country, we created PCs for People, which focuses on providing equitable access to functioning devices. We do this through refurbishing previously used (typically only two to three years old) computers and devices donated by large organizations and individuals. Then, these refurbished devices are sold at deeply discounted prices to individuals who otherwise would not have access to this technology.

Of course, we knew that having a device only gets you so far if you don’t have access to fast, reliable internet — an issue facing more than 163 million individuals across the U.S., according to Pew Charitable Trusts. In Kansas City, we were thrilled to work with Google Fiber to provide Kansas Citians with access to reliable internet. 

Most recently, our collaboration with Google Fiber has facilitated bringing fiber internet to four affordable housing communities in Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo. Through this project, residents get access to high-speed fiber internet for $15 per month. Now, three of these communities - Pemberton Park, Linwood Gardens and Posada Del Sol - are fully online, and we’ve already seen incredible results for those residents.

“I got my first computer from PCs for People,” said Rose Stigger, Pemberton Park for GrandFamilies manager and resident. “I was the first resident at Pemberton Park, brought up my granddaughters here, and now as I raise my great-grandson here I was the first resident to receive this high speed internet.”

As we continue to expand access to more communities, we’ve learned that building trust with residents is critical to ensuring people make use of this access. In addition to providing quality devices and reliable internet, PCs for People offers digital literacy training to ensure folks make the most of this technology. These services will save residents money, allowing them to allocate those funds to other important needs.

“Up until a few months ago, I didn’t have internet at home,” said Rose. “This internet not only helps my grandson with projects that will surely come up for school but also makes my life easier, too.”

Posted by Tom Esselman, Director, PCs for People Kansas City