The 1Million Project is the largest corporate initiative in U.S.
history to bridge the digital divide and help close the “Homework
Gap” for students lacking home internet access
Sprint (NYSE: S) and the Sprint Foundation will help change the
lives of 1 million high school students by giving them
opportunities to reach their full potential. The 1Million Project
is a multiyear initiative to offer free mobile devices and free
high-speed wireless internet connectivity to 1 million low-income,
U.S. high school students lacking a reliable source of internet
access at home.
The expansive new program will help eliminate the “Homework Gap”
that puts low-income students at a major disadvantage because they
don’t have ready access to the internet needed for completing
homework, communicating with teachers, or applying for jobs,
scholarships or college.
“Education is the foundation for our society to
prosper, and the internet is an incredibly powerful tool for
learning. But it’s a huge problem in America that we have 5 million
households with children that lack internet connections. Those kids
have a huge disadvantage and we are failing them. All of us at
Sprint are committed to changing this by providing 1 million
students in need with free devices and free wireless
connections.”
Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO
Pew Research Center reports that 5 million U.S. families with
school-aged children do not have broadband access at home.
Low-income homes with children are four times more likely to be
without broadband than middle- or upper-income households. Their
chances for success are significantly reduced because at least 70
percent of teachers assign homework that requires web access, based
on a report by the Federal Communications Commission’s
Broadband Task Force. Nearly two-thirds of students used the
internet at home to complete their homework and school-related
activities. The digital divide also is an obstacle to parent
engagement. Many schools use online grading systems, requiring
parents to rely on the internet for staying informed of their
child’s academic progress.
Sprint will work with non-profit agencies including EveryoneOn
and My Brother’s Keeper Alliance which will help to recruit
community organizations – schools, libraries, public-housing
authorities, and non-profits. These program members will execute
locally, deliver the devices, and activate the mobile internet
service that participating students will be able to access
virtually whenever and wherever they need it (while on the Sprint
network) for up to four years in high school.
Sprint and the Sprint Foundation also will work closely with
these program members to determine the best device solution for
local students. Each student may receive either a free smartphone,
tablet, laptop or hotspot device and 3GB of high-speed LTE data per
month. Unlimited data is available at 2G speeds if usage exceeds
3GB in a month. Those who receive a smartphone can use it as a
hotspot and for unlimited domestic calls and texts while on the
Sprint network.
The 1Million Project will help create opportunities for these
high school students to participate in the digital world and
transform their lives. Sprint was inspired by President Obama's
ConnectED and My Brother’s Keeper initiatives, and, with the
1Million Project, is building on its experience with those
initiatives to accelerate solutions to address this problem.
ConnectED is a public and private sector effort to get technology
into classrooms. In 2014, Sprint announced a commitment to provide
wireless broadband to 50,000 K-12 students in low-income school
districts. Claure serves on the board of directors for My Brother’s
Keeper Alliance, a non-profit organization whose vision is to make
the American Dream available to all boys and young men of
color.
“We're excited that Sprint has committed to
provide 1 million disadvantaged high school students with four
years of free devices and connectivity. This will make a huge
difference in their lives, and will help support the President's
ConnectED and My Brother's Keeper Initiatives.”
Jeff Zients, Director of the National
Economic Council, The White House
“Through our participation in ConnectED, we
heard loud and clear that students need devices and internet access
to complete their homework. Sprint’s 1Million Project is an
end-to-end solution that enables 1 million low-income youth to keep
learning after they leave the classroom.”
Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO
Claure is a member of the 2016 class of the Henry Crown
Fellowship program, which focuses on developing the next generation
of community-spirited leaders. Each participant drives a leadership
venture that puts the Fellowship’s principles into action. The
1Million Project is consistent with these principles.
Sprint also recognizes its role and responsibility to give back
to communities. Doing good is also good business and Sprint has
designed the 1Million Project to minimize cost to the company and
maximize value to students in need. As a result, the overall cost
to Sprint is not substantial.
To support the 1Million Project, Sprint and the Sprint
Foundation will receive donations from device manufacturers and
raise funds through special events, donation drives and other
activities. This plan engages its strong and passionate employee
and customer base and thousands of company-owned, dealer and
national retail partner stores across the country.
“The 1Million Project is a powerful example of
the role that business must play in society today to address our
most pressing problems. Increasingly, people are seeking to do
business with companies committed to creating social, as well as
shareholder value. Brands that create social value by making a
meaningful difference in people’s lives are in a stronger position
to attract new customers, recruit and retain better employees, and
build stronger ties to their communities.”
Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO
Beginning in January 2017, Sprint, in
conjunction with the Sprint Foundation, will pilot the program in
seven to 10 markets. The pilots across several markets and
community partners will provide a better understanding of the
varying needs of students and the resources they require to be
successful. The program can be refined before a nationwide rollout
planned for the start of the 2017-18 school year.
“The nation’s tremendous progress in connecting
America’s schools to the internet is transforming teaching and
learning every day in classrooms around the country. Sprint’s
1Million Project will extend the promise of digital learning beyond
the classroom at an unprecedented scale – helping deliver on
America’s promise to provide equal access to educational
opportunity for all students."
Evan Marwell, Founder & CEO,
EducationSuperHighway
As part of the comprehensive program,
www.sprint.com/1millionproject will feature details, updates and
additional information for those who want to get involved. U.S.
schools and community organizations interested in learning more
about the program or participating in the pilot should apply
online. The company will also share 1Million Project news on
Sprint’s social media channels using the hashtag
#1MillionProject.
“My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK Alliance) is
proud to be a partner on Sprint’s 1Million Project to provide
students essential tools for 21st century success. As MBK Alliance
works to expand pathways to success for boys and young men of
color, we applaud Sprint and MBK Alliance Board Member Marcelo
Claure for leading the way and filling critical gaps for our
nation’s youth. The 1Million Project will not only unlock latent
talent and potential in one million young people, but will also
serve as a model of innovative private sector support for the next
generation – our nation’s future leaders, employees, and consumers.
MBK Alliance commends Sprint for this demonstration of our shared
belief that “doing good is good business” and are thrilled to be a
partner in bringing this initiative to life in 2017.”
Blair Taylor, Chief Executive Officer,
My Brother’s Keeper Alliance
“Since 2012, EveryoneOn has connected, with the
help of public and private stakeholders, more than 300,000 people
in United States to low-cost home Internet service, devices, and
digital literacy training. We believe that Sprint’s 1Million
Project is a worthy step forward in support of our mission to end
the digital divide and that efforts like this are an important down
payment for digital inclusion for youth and their families. In
short, we believe that all people in America should be afforded the
opportunity that the Internet brings, not just those that can
afford it.”
Chike Aguh, Chief Executive Officer,
EveryoneOn
“SETDA commends Sprint Corporation for this
generous effort to help close the digital divide. As content shifts
from print to digital, and students prepare for college and careers
in the digital age, seamless internet access both in and outside of
school is no longer a perk – it is a necessity, Students must be
able to rely on access, particularly at home to leverage digital
resources, create content and connect with teachers and their
peers.”
Christine Fox, Deputy Executive
Director, State Educational Technology Directors Association
(SETDA)
“Sprint has been an excellent partner to
Community High School District 99 in closing the homework gap
caused by lack of Internet access at home. Last year we closed the
device gap with a 1:1 program and this year Sprint and
the ConnectEd program have allowed us to ensure that 100% of
our students have an option for access to Internet when away
from school. Assuring that students have a connected device
allows us the certainty that every student has access to the
world's information and creates an equal foundation of resources.
Guaranteeing access to today's basic tools for communication,
collaboration, and creativity creates opportunities by opening
pathways to possibilities.”
Dr. Hank Thiele, Superintendent,
Community High School District 99, Chicago, Illinois
About Sprint:
Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that
creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things
they care about most. Sprint served more than 59.4 million
connections as of June 30, 2016, and is widely recognized for
developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies,
including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in
the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin
Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national
and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1
Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past five years.
You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or
www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
About the Sprint Foundation:
Since its establishment in 1989, the Sprint Foundation (the
philanthropic arm of Sprint) has provided millions of dollars to
community organizations across the country. A separate legal entity
from Sprint, the Sprint Foundation is able to make a huge impact
where it is needed most, supporting hundreds of organizations every
year that focus on education, arts and culture, youth development,
community development, and disaster relief. For more information
visit sprint.com/goodworks.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161011006242/en/
SprintLisa Dimino,
646-845-0886lisa.dimino@sprint.com
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