UTO Events

Winter...errr, universal broadband...is coming, and with it a new map of opportunities and challenges. It’s not just a matter of a bit of fiber here, a cell tower there - a successful rollout that matches the promise of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act needs to factor in how constituencies will be connected, what their interactions might look like, and how the know-how needed to leverage these connections will be supplied and distributed. In a modified Delphi exercise earlier this year, the Universal Broadband group at ASU’s ShapingEDU prioritized hub-and-spoke broadband education connections for study. Join us, as we unearth players, territories, alliances and rivalries in a Matrix Game designed to jump-start this study. We’ll also explore Matrix games in general, and how they can scaffold serious thinking about dragon-ridden subjects.

In this forward thinking talk, Dr. Mark Greenfield, Web Accessibiilty Officer, will explore how voice technology can dramatically improve web and digital accessibility and provide guidance and recommendations on accessibility best practices in voice user interfaces.Voice technology, including voice assistants like Alexa, Bixby, Google Assistant, and Siri, combined with smart speakers and other voice enabled devices, represents the next great paradigm shift in user interfaces. As technology continues to evolve beyond the web to artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and mixed reality, voice will become the natural and most intuitive way to interact with the digital world. Voice technology has the potential to dramatically improve accessibility by removing the physical and cognitive barriers in the current keyboard and screen interfaces that are currently the norm.

Let's close down 2021 some togetherness! We invite you to celebrate a year of accomplishments at the annual UTO Holiday party. Convene with the UTO Family at the Phoenix Zoo -- with tickets to enjoy the Zoo Lights. It will be a evening of celebration, music, food, drinks and FUN! Please register by Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

The annual Smart Region Summit, convened by ASU and a diversity of partners, focuses on the application of new human and technological innovation strategies that put into action the concept of the “smart city and region.” Smart cities and regions leverage technology to share vital information with the public, make data-informed local improvements, increase efficiency and optimize infrastructure and resources to meet community needs. Indeed, smart technology has the potential to bolster equity across a region by expanding the reach and creative uses of services and tools -- like high-speed broadband and 5G. For our 2022 day-long event, our partner network will focus on the intersection of smart regions and digital inclusion with the goal of showcasing and designing, as a community, projects and work that bridges the digital divide. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the latest developments in smart technologies and connect with experts and next-generation leaders in the field. Together, we’re creating more efficient places and spaces across Arizona and beyond that are optimized for all individuals.  

Using ShapingEDU's 5 Calls To Action as their guide, ShapingEDU's five Action Teams will be given the opportunity to pitch five impact-focused project ideas to five judges, each of whom has $5,000 to allocate as they wish to their favorite project(s). After the event, each Action Team will rally the global ShapingEDU Community to collaborate and bring the projects to life. Project work will happen throughout 2022, and the outputs from each project will be shared at the 2023 Pente Pitch Challenge event. This "Shark Tank" inspired two-day virtual event will empower global teams of education trailblazers to foster change that will fuel the success of lifelong learners.