Connecting AZ-1 is a podcast documenting the people, programs, and partnerships building a more connected Arizona. Each episode, the AZ-1 student storytelling team sits down with the voices shaping digital inclusion, community trust, and real human impact, the stories behind the data, and the people the reports don't capture. New episodes dropping regularly. Subscribe so you never miss one.
In this episode, we sit down with Darrina from New Freedom, a re-entry program built on something most systems skip: peer support. Darrina works directly with justice-impacted individuals, and she's here to talk about what trust actually looks like when it's built from shared experience, what success looks like that never makes it into a report, and where systems, despite good intentions, sometimes get in their own way.
January 12, 2026 - Learn about how Cindy Hogan is Championing Digital Inclusion in Arizona
December 31, 2025 - A Year Collaborating with Student Storytellers
December 23, 2025 - How Florecer is helping Yuma’s youth turn their stories into pathways to college
December 17, 2025 - Inside SCN’s fiber strategy for sustainable middle mile infrastructure
December 10, 2025 - A celebration of the people working to make Arizona knowledgeable, connected, and accessible.
November 21, 2025 - How Broadband Access Shapes Employment Opportunities
October 17, 2025 - When education moves online but opportunity doesn’t reach everyone
October 2, 2025 - How E-Rate Keeps the Arizona Community Connected
October 2, 2025 - In Arizona’s remote areas and tribal communities, public libraries are doing so much more than just shelving books.
October 2, 2025 - Mala's Lifelong Journey
A decade in the making: Sun Corridor Network and ADOT partner to speed up broadband deployment
July 14, 2025, - FCC data updates from June 2024 to December 2024 show how data center development drives higher internet speeds.
August 14, 2025 - The importance of non-profit, community centered education
August 1, 2025 - A Community Model for Broadband Equity in Arizona
July 23, 2025
'It became obvious to us that access to internet wasn’t a nice-to-have — it was a must-have'
June 24, 2025 - ASU Next Lab and SolarSPELL collaborate to bridge digital divide
June 18, 2025 - How the E-Rate Program Fuels Library Access Across the State
June 11, 2025 - Sharing digital equity insights to ignite change and amplify our impact in the digital inclusion movement
April 14, 2025 - Exploring the Role of Social Determinants in Building a Healthier, More Equitable, and Sustainable Future for All
March 28, 2025 - The AZ-1 Storytelling team attends an event at Mesa Library, innovating through Augmented Reality
Feb 27, 2025 - A story from Erin Lorandos about the important role that libraries play in digital literacy
Feb 18, 2025, - FCC data updates from December 2023 to June 2024 show where internet speeds are rising...and where they are falling.
Feb 18, 2025 - How Sun Corridor Network Facilitates Sharing Knowledge Across Arizona