New tech center ‘The HIVE’ celebrates grand opening

Town officials and The HIVE staff cut the ribbon, officially opening the center. Photo by Debbie Torres

Everyone was “a buzz” at the grand opening of The Hive at the Superior Enterprise Center. The grand opening ceremony included about 60 local residents of Superior along with IDIA Staff and Town of Superior officials along with board members of Rebuild Superior.

The center was developed with the Institute for Digital Equity and Inclusion (IDIA), a non profit based in Phoenix. The mission of IDIA is to eliminate the digital divide – the gap between those who have affordable access, skills, and support to effectively engage online and those who do not. IDIA is co-creating communities in which every individual, regardless of their background, can thrive in the digital age.

The staff of The HiVE was on hand at the grand opening in Superior. Photo by Debbie Torres

The Superior Enterprise Center Director Arlynn Godinez shared her excitement for this new opportunity for the community.

“This event brought together residents of all ages, eager to explore and experience the cutting-edge technology The Hive has to offer. This initiative ensures free access to the latest advancements in technology for the community. Residents can receive one-on-one assistance with their devices, enjoy free WiFi access, and participate in classes, camps, and workshops. The Hive will serve as a hub of creativity and innovation for students, entrepreneurs, and the community,” she explained.

The Hive at the Superior Enterprise Center is the first HIVE in Rural Arizona. Superior joins a family of Hives in Guadalupe, Tempe and Phoenix. Superior’s HIVE features a telemedicine room, podcasting room, 3-D printers, MAC Computers, iPads and is fully finished with comfortable furniture for all activities including socialization and remote working spaces.

Executive Director for IDIA Erin Carr-Jordan remarked, “Superior was the right choice for IDIA’s first rural Hive because it has the right mix of need, opportunity, and community readiness. The town has been actively working to revitalize its economy, and access to technology and digital skills is a critical piece of that. There’s strong local leadership, a willingness to collaborate, and a clear gap that IDIA and the Hive can help fill.”

It’s also a place where IDIA can learn what works in a rural setting — what’s different, what stays the same, and how to adapt the model to ensure it makes sense for the people who live there. Superior isn’t just a pilot location; it’s a proving ground for how this kind of initiative can scale in other rural communities. As the Town of Superior develops the multi-gen center at the original Superior High School, job training and entrepreneurial development and education programing is at the forefront of the development of the multi-gen.

Mayor Mila Besich in her remarks during the ceremony thanked Rebuild Superior Inc. and the Superior Enterprise Center for their leadership and dedication to supporting this initiative with IDIA. She also spoke of the power of the Superior network along with the Flinn Brown Network for connecting the Town with IDIA. She thanked Public Works for working on a tight timeframe to complete the work needed for the opening and explained that the remodeling work was completed with funds from Resolution Copper through the Regional Economic Development Agreement that the Town has with the mining company.

The Hive has full time staff that can assist participants with their personal tech needs, weekly classes training and can also support anyone who just wants to learn more about technology. There is no cost to using the HIVE and it is open Mondays noon to 6 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays noon to 6 p.m., Thursdays noon to 6 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the first and third Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.