Contributions Help Bridge the Digital Divide and Drive Student Success in Pennsylvania

David Kerr, President – AT&T Pennsylvania
March 30, 2023
Community Impact


Contributions Help Bridge the Digital Divide and Drive Student Success in Pennsylvania

As part of AT&T’s nationwide commitment to help narrow the digital divide and support student success, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation gave nearly $250,000 to organizations across Pennsylvania in 2022. The company also is working with local libraries and other nonprofit organizations in the Commonwealth to offer digital literacy programs and refurbished computers for students and families.

The pandemic heightened the challenges faced by students and families here in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Under-resourced neighborhoods were hit particularly hard, which is why we’ve teamed up with organizations across the Commonwealth who share our desire to help students in Pennsylvania prepare for success in school, on the job and in life.

The organizations that received support from AT&T and the AT&T Foundation include:

Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg): $10,000 from the Foundation to support the Dauphin County Reengagement Center in its efforts to reengage youth (ages 16-21) who have become disengaged from the education system due to a lack of access to the internet as well as non-academic barriers to learning such as poverty, food insecurity, and mental health.

The Literacy Center (Allentown): $20,000 from the Foundation to provide instruction on digital literacy, clerical, and soft skills, as well individual career counseling and job placement assistance to thirty (30) unemployed or underemployed adults in the Lehigh Valley as part of the Administrative Professional Job Training Program.

University of Scranton (Scranton): $10,000 from the Foundation to support The University of Scranton’s University of Success college-preparation program that provides assistance to promising local students who may not have the necessary academic preparation, planning or support required to successfully enroll in college or higher education.

The Pittsburgh Promise (Pittsburgh): $20,000 from the Foundation to support efforts to close the digital divide for urban youth by providing workshops on smart and safe online practices, with the goal of promoting post-secondary education and career advancement.

The Welcoming Center (Philadelphia): $10,000 from the Foundation to support the Integrated English/Digital Literacy Program, an innovative, research-based approach that integrates English language instruction within real-world workforce development needs. This program narrows the digital divide and helps English Language Learners improve their career pathways.

Lehigh Carbon Community College SHINE (Schnecksville): $15,000 from the Foundation to address the digital divide in Carbon and Schuylkill counties and to address an increasingly important aspect of digital literacy, SHINE will implement internet safety units in afterschool centers and family night activities. The project will serve 1st-8th grade students and their families.

Greater Philadelphia YMCA (Philadelphia): $20,000 from the Foundation to support the Teen Tech Center which provides access for teens, including unhoused and foster youth, to focus on and complete their homework, or utilize the lab and internet for practical needs in the absence of these resources at home or school.  

The Learning Lamp (Johnstown): $5,000 from the Foundation to support students in grades K-12 whose families cannot afford the out-of-pocket cost of high-quality tutoring with tuition assistance and access to onsite technology for homework completion and skill building in our tutoring center and satellite locations, as needed.

Bucks County Community College Foundation (Newtown): $20,000 from the Foundation to support educational attainment and scholarships for students in Bucks County Community College’s Public Safety Training and Certificate program including the Basic and Advanced Fire Academy courses.

Montgomery County Community College Foundation (Blue Bell): $20,000 from the Foundation to support Public Safety Scholarships for the College’s Municipal Police Academy cadets who face economic barriers including the digital divide.

ACLAMO (Norristown): $11,000 from the Foundation to support ACLAMO’s education programming, which provides mentoring and homework assistance to underserved students.

Lehigh University (Bethlehem): $10,000 from the Foundation to support the Lehigh University Summer Engineering Institute, a two 2-week summer residential program and two-week summer virtual program for talented Sophomore and Junior high school students offering a living and learning collaborative experience in science, technology, engineering and math.  

One Day at a Time/Urban Affairs Coalition (Philadelphia): $5,000 from the Foundation to support projects directly related to ODAAT’s Youth Recovery Mode Program. Funds applied would supplement staffing and supply needs for North Philadelphia Youth in ODAAT’s programming

Lycoming College (Williamsport): $20,000 from AT&T to support the Lycoming Summer Academy (LSA), a scholarship-earning bridge program dedicated to helping first-year college students achieve success in higher education.

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Foundation (Harrisburg): $25,000 from AT&T for new AT&T Public Safety Scholarships for eligible students.

Cheyney University (Cheyney): $10,000 from AT&T to support scholarships to Cybersecurity undergraduate students at this HBCU.

MenzFit (Philadelphia): $5,000 from AT&T to support the organization’s Career Development & Work in Progress Pathways to Employment Project.

Reading YMCA (Reading): $5,000 from AT&T to better connect the children, families and others served by the organization to digital resources. The support enabled the YMCA to purchase tablets, printers, and smart televisions to enable individuals to sharpen their digital skills, and access the Internet for education, telehealth, job search and more.

 

 

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