Oak Ridge High School is participating in the Sprint 1 Million Project program. Through that project, the high school will receive free internet devices and service to help students complete their schoolwork from home, a press release said.
“Sprint’s mission with this project is to provide free wireless devices and service to one million students who are in need of reliable internet service,” the press release said. “The 1 Million 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.”
The press release said Sprint plans to welcome approximately 200,000 eligible high school students into the program each year for five years, offering them devices and connectivity for up to four years while in high school. Oak Ridge High School is now a part of this five-year program.
“For the 2017-2018 school year, we will receive 300 devices,” the press release said. “We will continue to communicate with Sprint annually to determine the device quantities needed for the following program years.”
The school system’s current plan is to request up to 300 Wi-Fi hot spots for all students in the school who do not have reliable internet access at home.
“We are currently sending out a survey to every rising high school student to ensure that students have the opportunity to communicate their needs and get permission from parents to participate,” the press release said. “It is our desire that all students can have reliable internet access for their Access Oak Ridge devices next year.”
“Education is the foundation for our society to prosper, and the internet is an incredibly powerful tool for learning,” said Marcelo Claure, Sprint chief executive officer. “But it’s a huge problem in America that we have five 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 one million students in need with free devices and free wireless connections.
Sprint believes that all students are curious, want a bright future, and are willing to work hard to earn it, the press release said. “Because of these shared values, they are confident our collective efforts will lead to richer learning experiences for our students, and a better chance for success in school and life,” the release said.
For more information about this project, go to http://newsroom.sprint.com/news-releases/sprint-provides-free-wireless-devices-and-service-to-1-million-disadvantaged-students.htm.
A PDF flyer is available here:Â http://newsroom.sprint.com/content/1003/files/1MPFactSheet.pdf.
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