124 schools, nonprofits will receive 35,000 hotspots through K-12 homework gap program

AT&T’s $10 million commitment to the program is helping the nation’s most vulnerable students participate in connected learning

Bowling Green, Ky. (February 24, 2020) – Connected Nation (CN) and AT&T announced this week that the awardees for the AT&T K-12 homework gap program had been named. The list includes 124 schools and nonprofits spanning 26 states nationwide.

“Many of the children this program will help have been disconnected from their schools and have lost months, if not years, of their education,” said Tom Ferree, Chairman & CEO, Connected Nation. “This program puts devices and services into the hands of organizations that are directly impacting lives of students and can effectively help them finally access remote learning—closing the homework gap for some of our nation’s most at-risk kids.” 

AT&T collaborated with national nonprofit Connected Nation to administer this program and review the applications and needs of schools and nonprofits serving at-risk kids. The program is primarily focused on impacting students in the following groups:

• Students in foster care
• Students experiencing homelessness
• English language learners
• Students with disabilities
• Students eligible for the Migrant Education Program
• Other at-risk students who may be disconnected from formal education opportunities

“There are so many students of all ages who are struggling with the need to be online for their classes. We applaud AT&T for focusing on those students who are often overlooked and unserved,” said Brent Legg, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, Connected Nation. “We have a responsibility to help ensure that all kids have the opportunity to learn regardless of their circumstances, and I’m proud that we can be part of the solution to help ensure that those most vulnerable among us aren’t left behind.”

There are 124 awardees in the program that span 26 states—representing 81 schools and 43 nonprofits. In total, 35,000 hotspots will be given to programs that help at-risk students across the country. Schools and nonprofits could seek up to 500 hotspots per application.  

To see the full list of awardees and learn more about the impact of this program, head to connectednation.org/homeworkgap. 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jessica Denson, Communications Director
Connected Nation
jdenson@connectednation.org
502-341-2024

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About Connected Nation: Our mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access to and increase the adoption and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies for all people. Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation. 

Connected Nation works with consumers, local community leaders, states, technology providers, and foundations to develop and implement technology expansion programs with core competencies centered on a mission to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. For more information, please visit: connectednation.org and follow Connected Nation on Facebook and Twitter.