OVERLAND PARK, Kan.,
Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/
-- Sprint (NYSE: S) and Cleveland Metropolitan School District
(CMSD) announced at an event with CMSD CEO Eric S. Gordon today that 1,500 high school
students will receive a free mobile device and free wireless
service as part of the 1Million Project Foundation. The program
launched in August 2017 with a
mission to help one million high school students achieve their full
potential by ensuring they have the digital tools and connectivity
they need to succeed in school. In its first year, the initiative
connected 113,000 students across the country, and by the end of
the 2018-19 school year, more than 260,000 students total at over
1,700 high schools in 33 states will receive internet access and
devices.
"Today's students need equitable access to essential digital
tools and connectivity to succeed in high school," said
Doug Michelman, president of the
1Million Project Foundation. "Those students who are disconnected
when they leave school every afternoon should not be at a
disadvantage just because their families cannot provide them
connectivity at home. With the support of Sprint, a national
wireless company, we are in a powerful position to do something
about this problem by arming eligible students with the critical
tools they need to succeed and to believe that they can
succeed."
Right here in the U.S., there are more than five million
families with school-aged kids who do not have home internet
access.1 Unfortunately, this means that millions of
students lack the devices and connectivity needed to have an equal
shot at success.
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) consistently
ranks Cleveland in the top ten list of America's Worst Connected
Cities. NDIA's 2018 report ranked Cleveland as sixth on the list
noting that nearly 50 percent of households lack a fixed broadband
connection.2
The 1Million Project Foundation will distribute devices and
provide service to eligible students at the following CMSD high
schools:
- Cleveland Early College High
School
- Cleveland Metropolitan Schools John Adams High School
- Cleveland School of Architecture
and Design
- Cleveland School of Science and
Medicine
- Collinwood New Tech
- Digital Arts
- Ginn Academy
- Glenville
- John F. Kennedy Eagle
- John F. Kennedy Pact
- John Marshall Civic & Business Leadership
- John Marshall Information Technology
- John Marshall School of
Engineering
- Lincoln West Global Studies
- Lincoln West-Science & Health
- New Tech East
- Rhodes College and Career
- Rhodes Environmental Studies
Each participating student will receive either a free
smartphone, tablet, or hotspot device and 3GB of high-speed LTE
data per month for up to four years while they are in high school.
Unlimited data is available at 265 kbps speeds if usage exceeds 3GB
in a month. Every device has a Free Children's Internet Protection
Act (CIPA) compliant content filter to block adult content and
malware. Students who receive a smartphone receive unlimited voice
and text while on the Sprint network and may also use it as a
hotspot.
In a survey of those who participated in the first year of the
program, the vast majority of students (84%) said the 1Million
Project made it easier for them to complete more of their homework
in a comfortable, convenient, and safe place. Looking forward, 74%
said they are more willing to work hard to graduate from high
school. And, 68% said they are more likely to go to college.
Administrators reported improved attitudes toward learnings,
homework completion rates and school attendance among students.
Schools or districts who want to apply for the third year of the
program, which begins with the 2019-2020 school year, can visit
www.1millionproject.org to learn more. Applicants will receive a
response by spring 2019.
Anyone looking to support the program can visit
1millionproject.org/donate to make a donation via credit
card.3
About The 1Million Project Foundation:
The 1Million
Project Foundation will help 1 million high school students who do
not have reliable Internet access at home reach their full
potential by giving them mobile devices and free high-speed
Internet access. Today's learning environment requires 24/7
internet access in order to study, learn, explore and complete
school work from home. Students that cannot connect when they leave
school are at disadvantage, and their chances of staying on track
in school are greatly limited. By working with school districts
across America, the 1Million Project seeks to remove a significant
hurdle in these students' lives by ensuring they have the same
access to the internet as any other student so that they too have a
fair shot at achieving their full potential. For more information,
visit www.1MillionProject.org.
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 54.6 million connections as of June
30, 2018 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. Today, Sprint's legacy of innovation and service
continues with an increased investment to dramatically improve
coverage, reliability, and speed across its nationwide network
and commitment to launching the first 5G mobile
network in the U.S. You can learn more and visit Sprint
at www.sprint.com or
www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
1 The Pew Research Center
(http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/20/the-numbers-behind-the-broadband-homework-gap/)
2 National Digital Inclusion Worst Connected
Cities
Report(https://www.digitalinclusion.org/blog/2018/06/07/worst-connected-cities-2016/)
3
Cash donations for the 1Million Project Foundation are
tax-deductible charitable contributions.
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SOURCE Sprint