AT&T partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis to open a Connected Learning Center, bridging the digital divide for local youth.
Middle school student, Jessie Jones, stood at the podium and expressed with confidence to a gathered audience the significance of closing the gap between the haves and the have-nots when it comes to information and communications technology.
The occasion was the ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 19 to celebrate the opening of AT&T’s Connected Learning Center at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) Herbert Hoover Club, 2901 North Grand Blvd. to help bridge the digital divide.
“The learning center means that club members like me will have online access, allowing us the opportunity to improve our digital skills,” said Jessie, 13, a student at Carr Lane Middle School. “It will help me with my education overall. I also think it makes learning fun.”
AT&T also made a $50,000 contribution to BGCSTL for programming support.
The learning center will feature internet access and high-quality educational tools, including computers provided by Dell Technologies.
“This new AT&T Connected Learning Center is just one part of our nationwide effort to get more people connected to greater possibility and to make an impact in the communities we serve,” said Craig Unruh, President, of AT&T Missouri. “Here in St. Louis, we’re working with many different groups who have shared goals: to help close the digital divide in our community to better equip St. Louisans of all ages with the tools and connectivity that are essential in our digital-first world.”
In St. Louis, according to AT&T data research, it is estimated that nearly half of households are affected by the digital divide. On a national scale, one in five households lack connection to the internet, and 35 percent of Americans do not have the digital literacy skills needed to navigate the online world.
This Connected Learning Center is the second in St. Louis – the first one opened last October at the Urban League of St, Louis – and the 38th in the U.S. It offers free access to digital resources, including high-speed AT&T Fiber internet, Wi-Fi, and Dell computers. The resources at the center will provide students with engaging content and activities to support learning outside the classroom and help parents and caregivers build skills and confidence using technology.
These include The Achievery, a free digital learning platform created by AT&T, as well as free digital literacy courses and workshops created with the Public Library Association. AT&T employees and community leaders also provide tutoring and mentoring.
BGCSTL President, Dr. Flint Fowler, said the new learning center is part of an ongoing and fruitful relationship with AT&T following the “overwhelming response to last year’s free laptops program” with the company.
“We are confident that this new center will help bridge the digital divide and aid Club members in achieving academic success,” Fowler said.
Missouri State Senator Karla May said community organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs and link with companies like AT&T to close the digital divide, benefit youth.
“Our children are better prepared for success,” May said. “I’m glad to see AT&T is investing in our city – and in our future.”
As for Jessie, she sees the Connected Learning Center at Herbert Hoover as an incentive to excel in school and open up a whole new world to explore.
“I think it’s going to help me with my homework and schoolwork,” she said. “I wouldn’t be smart without technology and electronics. With computers, you can look up stuff to get a better understanding of things.”
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