What’s the news? More than 100 University of the District of Columbia (UDC) students received refurbished laptops as part of AT&T’s nationwide commitment to help bridge the digital divide. AT&T worked with Digitunity and WildTech to provide UDC with computers and other resources. The computers, funded by an AT&T donation to Digitunity, were given to UDC students to help enhance and facilitate their classroom experiences at UDC.
In addition, the AT&T Foundation made a $25,000 grant to the UDC Foundation to support the integration of technology into the criminal justice program at UDC Community College, a branch of UDC, to enhance learning opportunities and bridge the gap for underserved students, who overwhelmingly represent disadvantaged minority populations.
Christopher Carroll, Regional Director for External Affairs at AT&T in Washington, DC, highlighted the programs at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Cadet Corps Transitional Ceremony and Award event at UDC-CC.
Why is this important?
These efforts are part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative, created as part of our companywide, $2 billion commitment from 2021- 2023, to help address the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability and safe adoption.
The computers were distributed via UDC’s Division of Workforce Development & Lifelong Learning (WDLL) Laptop Loaner Program, launched in the Spring 2023 term. The program was designed to help students achieve their academic and career goals by removing barriers to technology. As an incentive to kick off WDLL’s laptop loaner program, the first 101 students to apply for a laptop loaner were entered into WDLL’s “loan-to-own” laptop program. WildTech provided the refurbished laptops to WDLL students.
What are people saying?
“This support from the AT&T Foundation will help to increase our use of innovative technology – crime mapping and public safety software – and enhance experiential learning activities. It will also allow us to provide financial support by awarding need-based scholarships to students identified by our faculty. We are grateful to AT&T and look forward to this meaningful relationship,” said Dr. William Hacker, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, UDC. Dr. Hacker also serves as the advisor for criminal justice majors, including those in the Metropolitan Police Department Cadet Corps program at UDC-CC.
“WildTech’s non-profit mission is to improve digital equity for underserved communities, so we are elated to provide 101 students at UDC with free laptop computers. This was a great team effort, made possible through UDC’s leadership and the support of the AT&T Foundation, Digitunity, The Greater Washington Community Foundation (Share Fund) and the Arcana Foundation,” said Lou August, Executive Director, WildTech.
“We want to do what we can to help inspire and prepare the next generation of first responders and leaders in the District of Columbia, and these two initiatives help us meet those goals,” said Christopher Carroll, Regional Director of External Affairs, AT&T, Washington DC.
For more information about AT&T in Washington DC, visit https://www.attconnects.com/district-of-columbia/
About the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Foundation
For over 40 years, the UDC Foundation has been the University’s charitable partner—securing private funding and philanthropic support for student scholarships, faculty research, and program initiatives. Learn more at https://www.udc.edu/foundation/.
About Digitunity
Owning a computer is critical to participating in the modern economy. Yet, 36 million people in America do not have a computer, thereby locked out of the opportunities the internet can provide. Digitunity, a national nonprofit organization committed to advancing digital equity, is working to make owning a computer possible for everyone. Digitunity works at the systems level to make free or affordable computers available, with communities to support strategies for sustainable device access programs, and as a unique source of knowledge and information for the digital inclusion field. To learn more about Digitunity and our almost four decades of experience in the distribution of free or low-cost devices, visit https://digitunity.org/.
*About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
We’re committed to advancing education, creating opportunities, strengthening communities, and improving lives. As part of our companywide $2 billion commitment from 2021- 2023 to address the digital divide, we launched AT&T Connected Learning to invest in connectivity and technology, digital literacy, and education solutions to help today’s learners succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Since 2008 we’ve committed to programs that help millions of students across all 50 states and around the world, particularly those in underserved communities.
