Anna Verbuk presents on “Bridging the Digital Divide for Multilingual Learners” at Net Inclusion 2025
Last week, Resident Technology Program Director Anna Verbuk shared 2Life’s work at Net Inclusion 2025. Organized by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Net Inclusion is a premier conference that connects organizations from across the country engaged with digital literacy, digital equity, and broadband development. Held this year in the Gila River Indian community just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, the conference drew over 800 attendees.
The selection process for panel presentations is always highly competitive. Anna conceived of a compelling session titled, “Bridging the Digital Divide for Multilingual Learners,” inviting colleagues from diverse organizations working toward achieving digital equity to join her in presenting their work with demographically and linguistically diverse multilingual learners.
The 90-minute panel discussion had nearly a hundred attendees. Panelists shared best practices and strategies for seniors, working adults, and school-aged children, which included:
- Using the contextualized learning approach to make technical skills relevant to the learner’s needs and cultural and linguistic background
- Teaching learners how to leverage technology to overcome language barriers
- Utilizing technology to communicate with learners in their native language
- Making technical devices and digital resources “speak” the learner’s language.
Panelists, pictured left to right, were Andrew Broderick, Co-Director of San Francisco Tech Council; Raul Vazquez, Digital Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, City of Long Beach; Anna; Lingling Liu, Community Engagement Manager, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Equity; Jon Vosper, Acting Senior Director of Economic Empowerment, International Rescue Committee; and Victor Villegas, Broadband and Technology Adoption Coordinator, Oregon State University.
To read more about 2Life's Resident Technology Support Program, read the case study in LeadingAge.
