Baltimore City Schools will receive 3,700 devices through multi-year
initiative to help close the “Homework Gap”
Company Website:
http://www.sprint.com
BALTIMORE -- (Business Wire)
Brian Hedlund, Region President for Sprint
(NYSE:S), and Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Brookins
Santelises announced today that 3,700 Baltimore City high school
students will receive free mobile devices and high-speed wireless
internet service from Sprint and the Sprint Foundation to help close the
“Homework Gap” in Maryland. In addition to Baltimore City, the program
will include four public school districts across the state.
Through Sprint’s
1Million Project, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year,
participating high school students will receive either a free
smartphone, tablet, or hotspot device and 3GB of high-speed LTE data per
month for up to four years while they are in high school. Unlimited data
is available at 2G speeds if usage exceeds 3GB in a month. Those who
receive a smartphone can use it as a hotspot.
Maryland will be one of 32 states for the nationwide rollout beginning
this fall which includes, 118 school districts, over 1,300 high schools
and 180,000 students. In total, Sprint will distribute more than 8,000
devices to school districts across Maryland, including:
In total, Sprint will distribute more than 8,000 devices to Maryland
schools, including:
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Baltimore City Public Schools – 3,700 lines/students
-
Prince Georges County Public Schools – 2,560 lines/students
-
Baltimore County Public Schools – 1,500 lines/students
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Charles County Public Schools – 300 lines/students
Approximately 5 million U.S. families with school-aged children do not
have broadband access at home1, yet, at least 70 percent of
teachers assign homework that requires web access2. In
Miami-Dade, a 2014 report 2 indicated that roughly one in
three households (35 percent) lack internet connection.
Anyone looking to support the program can visit www.sprint.com/give1mp
to make a cash donation via credit card3. Used mobile devices
can also be donated online or in Sprint stores. Devices will be recycled
or resold with net proceeds benefiting the 1Million Project. Visit www.sprint.com/1millionproject
for more information, and follow and support the program on social media
by using the hashtag #1MillionProject.
Quotes:
“Access to technology and the internet at home are crucial for
Maryland’s high school students to compete academically,” said Brian
Hedlund, Sprint’s President for the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.
“The 1Million Project is intended to help narrow the homework gap and
give students additional opportunities to learn in the classroom and
beyond.”
“Being able to connect to the Internet and use digital technologies at
home will give students more and better access to the resources they
need for success,” said Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Sonja Brookins
Santelises. “Initiatives like the 1Million Project are important if
we’re going to close the digital divide and make sure there is equity in
access to the tools and information that power today’s world.”
“As teachers continue to push students to use the Internet and
technology for classwork, we are grappling with stark disparities across
the country– between the families who have access to high-speed
Internet, and the 5 million families who are without it, said Rep.
Anthony Brown (MD-04). “Without access to the tools necessary to succeed
in and outside the classroom, more students are being left behind. The
1Million Project is an important initiative to end these disparities and
bridge this digital divide. This investment to make high-speed Internet
available for thousands of low-income and minority Maryland families
will empower them to be more successful in school, pursue greater
opportunities in the future, and thrive in the global economy.”
About Sprint:
Sprint (NYSE:S) is a communications services company that creates more
and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about
most. Sprint served 53.7 million connections as of June 30, 2017 and is
widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative
technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national
carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including
Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant
national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier
1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past five years. You
can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com
or www.facebook.com/sprint
and www.twitter.com/sprint.
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Pew Research Center > goo.gl/EmpJj8
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The New York Times > goo.gl/5DacsH
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Cash donations for the 1Million Project are tax-deductible
charitable contributions to the Sprint Foundation. Device donations
are not tax deductible. Net proceeds from reselling/recycling
donated devices or $1 per device, whichever is greater, will be
donated to the program.
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170814005222/en/
Contacts:
Sprint
Roni Singleton, 404-649-8354
eronia.singleton@sprint.com
Source: Sprint
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