In May, Google Fiber and NTEN announced their Digital Inclusion Fellowship, a new nationwide program aimed at closing the digital divide in local communities. Last Friday, Google Fiber and NTEN announced the 16 fellows, including three for Atlanta organizations:

Aneta Thomas Lee, hosted by City of Atlanta, Department of Parks & Recreation in Atlanta, GA

Aneta Thomas Lee is an altruistic forward-thinker with a passion for underserved neighborhoods. She has worked in Nonprofit Management—either by volunteer or active employment—for over 20 years. She enjoys serving others by giving them the education they need to empower themselves. Although Aneta serves as a devoted activist for her community, her success as an advocate for her family is a continuing source of pride.

Daniel Valdez, hosted by Literacy Action in Atlanta, GA

Daniel Valdez was born in Mexico and has lived in the USA for over 25 years. He holds a BA in History and Latin American Studies from UNCC. He has worked extensively on various human rights issues, economic justice, and the arts. He resides in the Atlanta-Metro area and volunteers with the Atlanta Pride Committee and the OUT Film Festival. Daniel enjoys traveling, hiking, playing volleyball, and checking out the local food scene.

Maithri Vangala, hosted by TechBridge in Atlanta, GA

Maithri Vangalai is passionate about ensuring the right to health for all. Her experiences doing public health field work in El Salvador, editing a national health care publication, and most recently, PTSD research, have confirmed her belief in the vitality of access to information in this digital age and her dedication to bringing it to underserved populations. A native of Georgia and graduate of Georgia Tech, Maithri is ecstatic to serve as TechBridge’s digital inclusion fellow this year.

These three individuals will work with their respective organizations over the next 12 months building digital inclusion networks from the ground up. The resulting programs will help more people get people connected — for example, giving job seekers the digital skills they need and helping senior citizens get online for the first time.

Check out this blog post from NTEN for more background on the new fellows.