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 Hillcrest Elementary School in Boise, Idaho 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.”
Hillcrest Elementary School Principal Laura Rutherford said that Sparklight’s Chromebook donation will help further engage her students in learning. The Chromebooks will be available for check out if students need to learn remotely, used in their library for typing and educational experiences, as well as in the classroom for research and testing.
“Access to technology is crucial for our K-6 students, as now is the time they are shaping their knowledge and experience with technology, and without adequate access to it they will fall behind their peers,” Rutherford said. “As witnessed during the pandemic, the majority of Hillcrest students do not have access to technology at home. This donation of Chromebooks will not only help bridge gaps and inequity, but greatly increase student engagement, give them access to teachers and peers, and impact their overall education.”
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.