Students at Nikolaus Elementary School in Show Low, AZ; Cascade Elementary School in Cascade, ID; Texas Middle School in Texarkana, TX; James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School in Vincennes, IN; and Northside Elementary School in El Campo, TX are equipped with new Chromebooks this school year as the result of a Sparklight initiative designed to improve student access to technology in Title I schools.
Sparklight Senior Vice President of Technology Services Ken Johnson said that access to technology in schools is no longer a luxury, but a necessity, and that donating Chromebooks to Title 1 schools will help bridge the digital divide in schools that lack funding.
“While many school systems are taking big steps and working to give every student and every teacher access to the technology and tools they need to learn, not all schools have access to funding to support this effort,” Johnson said. “Because we believe so strongly in improving education through the use of technology, we want to do our part to support the communities we serve.”
Northside Elementary School Principal Rebecca Crowell said that the Chromebook donation will give students the tools to get and stay organized, serve as a resource for study and to find the information they need, and provide a system that allows them to communicate with other students and educators.
“Chromebooks offer more to schools and students than access to online resources. They help engage students with interactive lessons and prepare them for an increasingly digital workforce,” Crowell said. “Computer literacy is an integral component of any student’s learning plan. By providing students with access to the greatest learning tool ever invented–the Internet–they gain unprecedented access to resources and information.”
Over the past six years, Sparklight has donated 1200 Chromebooks to 24 schools in the markets they serve.
Sparklight’s Director of Corporate Communications Trish Niemann said Sparklight is committed to strengthening and improving the communities they serve.
“Our associates are passionate about giving back to the communities where they live and work,” Niemann said. “We know that improving access to technology in our schools will improve education and benefit our communities for the long term.”