On the crisp – but sunny – President’s Day, I joined AT&T volunteers and the team at the Boys and Girls Club of the Heartland in Poplar Bluff to provide 168 laptops to area students in need. It’s part of our AT&T Connected Learning® initiative to help address the digital divide in Missouri and across the country through internet accessibility, affordability and safe adoption.
I had the chance to meet with parents, grandparents and caregivers who told me how vital these laptops are to the children in their families. And, I met a few kids who were equally excited about having their own laptops they could use at home.
State Senator Jason Bean summed up the importance of this program when he said: “A strong partnership between the public and private sectors is important for efforts to help close the digital divide in our communities, especially the rural areas. I appreciate the work AT&T is investing in with the Boys and Girls Club of the Heartland in connecting our young people to the opportunities, resources, and tools needed for today’s education and workforce demands.”
Terri McCormick, Director of Development and Finance at the Boys & Girls Club of the Heartland, told me the “laptops are an integral component in promoting technology education and enhancing the skills development of our kids.”
Access to connectivity is vital in helping to bridge the digital divide, and we are glad we can provide these resources to those that need them most.
It was a great day in Poplar Bluff, and I’m grateful to the team at the Boys and Girls Club for their collaboration – and to the team at Compudopt for working with us to organize the event.
Together, we’re connecting young people in the Heartland to greater possibility.
