As K-12 schools end another challenging year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sparklight is working to close the digital divide for students at Thatcher Elementary School in Thatcher, Arizona with the donation of Chromebooks through the company’s Chromebooks for Kids initiative.
Sparklight Senior Vice President of Technology Services Ken Johnson said that both educators and students need access to the tools and technology that will set them up for future success.
“Now more than ever, student access to computers is a necessity,” Johnson said. “By donating Chromebooks, we’re giving students in need the opportunity to use technology that will ultimately prepare them for a progressively digital workforce.”
Thatcher Elementary School Principal Michelle Ferrin said that Sparklight’s Chromebook donation will help the school more adequately address the learning gaps caused by COVID-19 and other issues affecting today’s students.
“Students live in a world of technology and they have more and more access to it outside of school,” Ferrin said. “By providing access inside schools, we not only can meet students on their level but also help direct them in the proper use of technology. The addition of these Chromebooks will go a long way for our students and allow us to train them on the educational software we use to ensure students have access to learning whether they are in person or at home for any reason.”
Over the past eight years, Sparklight has donated more than 2,000 Chromebooks to Title I schools in the markets it serves.
For more information about Sparklight’s Chromebook for Kids initiative and its other corporate social responsibility efforts, please visit www.sparklight.com/about/social-responsibility.