Providence Park is known for hosting the beloved Portland Timbers and Thorns, where fans often get to celebrate their hometown teams beating out any competition on the pitch. A couple of weeks ago, I was happy to take part in a different kind of celebration at the park – providing students with connected devices.
As part of our nationwide commitment to help bridge the digital divide, AT&T partnered with Human-IT, the Oregon Community Foundation’s Black Student Success Network and the Portland Timbers and Thorns FC to give away 200 laptops to Oregon students and families in need.
Parents, guardians, students and community leaders from across the state gathered to celebrate as students received devices that will allow them to do so much more to further their education by accessing new opportunities online.
LaNae Johnson, Senior Program Officer of the Black Student Success Network, and Dr. Robin Beavers, VP of Community and Social Impact for the Portland Timbers and Thorns FC spoke with attendees about the importance of education and accessibility.
Among our guests was also State Senator Aaron Woods. As a former executive at several large technological companies in Oregon and long-standing champion for digital literacy, Senator Woods shared with students and their families about the importance of technology and its influence on today’s society and learning capabilities.
At AT&T we have our Stand for Equality values which help guide the work that we do and make our partnership with the Oregon Community Foundation’s Black Student Success Network, that much more impactful. Through their groundbreaking initiative, the Oregon Community Foundation is bringing together organizations across their state to come up with and enact solutions that empower black students.
We were proud to partner with the Oregon Community Foundation’s Black Student Success Network to get these laptops into the hands of students who stand to benefit from them the most. This underscores the impact that can be made when organizations that share similar values come together.
When we provide our learners with the tools they need for success, we empower our next generation of changemakers. Now, by working together, hundreds of today’s learners in Oregon have the resources they need for success in school and throughout life.
