When we officially opened the doors to AT&T’s 25th Connected Learning Center, two smart women joined us and shared comments that stuck with me:
“Not everyone gets chances like this.”
“Access leads to opportunity.”
The first remark was made by Anyla Sanders, a student who spends a lot of time at the Indianapolis Urban League, home of AT&T’s newest Connected Learning Center. She’s been an active participant in the Urban League’s programming and plans to use the center’s computers to write, or as she says, “to just type up an essay, because I’m a big writing person.”
The second comment came from AT&T Assistant Vice President, Corporate and Social Responsibility, Mylayna Albright, who’s been instrumental in bringing Connected Learning Centers to communities across the country. Inside these centers you’ll find high-speed AT&T Fiber internet – the “access” that Mylayna highlighted – as well as Wi-Fi, computers, free education resources, and tutoring and mentoring from AT&T employees.
The Indianapolis center is the 25th launched by the company, on our way to our goal of 50, and the first opened in collaboration with a local Urban League. All of the centers are part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative and our $2 billion commitment to address the digital divide through investments in internet accessibility, affordability and the safe use of technology.
Anyla was right. Not everyone gets chances like this. And while she was talking about the new computers she’ll be using to write her essays or do homework, I’m proud that I had the chance to meet her and to work for a company that’s so focused on connecting people to possibility.
Below, hear more from Indianapolis students, the Urban League and the city’s mayor in a video that sums up the excitement we all felt when we launched the 25th AT&T Connected Learning Center.
