AT&T Makes Million Dollar Grant to Help Bridge 'Digital Divide' - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, Dec 13, 1999

AT&T Thursday announced a $1 million grant in support of a new initiative to help bridge the "digital divide" in underpriviledged communities in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, the Mississippi Delta, New York City, Oakland, Pittsburgh, the Rio Grande Valley, and Washington, D.C. The program will provide training for teachers, community members, and young people to allow them to become technology leaders in their communities, capable of using technology and teaching others to do the same.

AT&T Chairman and CEO C. Michael Armstrong made the announcement at the Digital Divide Summit hosted by U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary William M. Daley. "Job skills are changing nearly as fast as technology," Armstrong said. "We all have to learn the language of technology and the Internet in order to bridge the digital divide."

The funds will be used by the Education Development Center (EDC), a nonprofit education and research development association, to develop and deliver a three-pronged training program:

For Teachers: EDC will develop an Online Professional Development Institute, a program to train teams of teachers to use technology to improve teaching and learning. These teams will become leaders in their school districts and train other teachers in the use of technology.

For Community Members: The programs will provide technology training for community members; these community members will become leaders in the use of technology and help train other community members to use technology.

For Young People: EDC will develop a technology and leadership training program for high school students; these students will provide technical assistance and support in schools and community technology centers, and provide leadership in their schools and communities on issues related to education, technology and economic opportunity.

The AT&T Foundation invests globally in projects that address a range of public concerns. More than half of AT&T's philanthropy is used for education projects. In 1995, AT&T created the AT&T Learning Network, a $150 million corporate commitment to support the education of children in schools (grades K-12) across the United States by providing the latest technology and cash grants to schools and communities. AT&T Learning Network resources and grants are designed to help teachers, students, parents and communities link to the technology tools and support they need to help improve teaching and learning.