A number of huge technology companies have banded together to help bridge the digital divide by providing $750 million worth of products and services to help schools get connected.
The ConnectED program forms part of a White House initiative aimed at providing reliable access to technology for 99% of students by 2019. The generous donations by business leaders across the country were announced by President Obama on Tuesday, following up last week’s State of the Union address, in which he emphasized that 2014 would be a “year of action”.
Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon are amongst the companies helping to keep school kids connected to the educational tools available online, offering speedy internet connections to over 15,000 schools. President Obama also announced a number of other generous donations, including $100 million worth of tablets and laptops from Apple, $100 million each from AT&T and Verizon for educating teachers, and free design software to schools from Autodesk.
By providing internet access and reliable connections to children around the country, these donations can ensure that every child has access to the same resources, regardless of their economic background or location.
