250 Providence High School Students Receive Free Mobile Devices and Wireless Service as Part of the Sprint 1Million Project
Press Conference
Providence is one of 11 pilot markets to test program helping to close the «Homework
Gap»
PROVIDENCE, RI – JANUARY 27, 2017 – Providence Public School District (PPSD)
students will have a new way to keep up with their school work from home. As part of
the Sprint (NYSE:S) 1Million Project
Providence Public high school students will receive a free mobile device and free
wireless connectivity as the pilot program kicks off at Dr. Jorge Alvarez High
School today. Mayor of Providence Jorge Elorza, PPSD Superintendent Christopher N.
Maher and local Sprint executives will be on hand as participating students receive
their smartphone, tablet or hotspot.
Research shows that 5 million U.S. families with school-aged children do not have
internet access at home, but 70 percent of teachers assign homework that requires
web access, creating a «Homework Gap» that puts these students at a disadvantage
academically. Sprint and the Sprint Foundation are working to change that with the
1Million Project, a multi-year initiative to foster academic success for 1 million
low-income students across the country by providing them with reliable connectivity
to complete their school assignments from home.
«The statistics are staggering, but even more powerful are the stories we hear from
disadvantaged students about their efforts to find connectivity to keep up with
their school assignments when they don’t have home internet access,» said Gabriel
Torres, Sprint’s Regional President for New England. «Everyone at Sprint is
committed to this important initiative, and I am proud to join our Providence
1Million Project pilot kick off as the first 125 students from Alvarez High School
receive their mobile devices today.»
«Expanding access to technology for education so that our students are ready for the
jobs of tomorrow is a top priority for my administration,» said Mayor Elorza. «I
thank Sprint for their partnership in helping us connect our students to the
21st-century tools they need to succeed and look forward to working with them to
continue to support our schools.»
Providence Public School District is the largest school district in Rhode Island,
operating 41 schools, and serving more than 24,000 students and their families.
Providence Public School District serves a diverse student body where more than 65
percent of students are Hispanic or Latino.
«We know that students who have access to technology after school leverage that
technology in countless ways in order to explore their world and to engage in active
learning,» said PPSD Superintendent Christopher Maher. «The students who have
limited access to technology, unfortunately, can be left behind on the wrong side of
the digital divide. Sprint’s incredibly gracious and forward-thinking gift today has
helped many of our lower-income student bridge that divide. Now they have the tools
they need, when they need them.»
Providence was chosen as one of 11 1Million Project pilot markets which will benefit
high school students in Brockton, MA, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Paterson, NJ,
San Diego and other cities. The pilot program will run through the end of the 2017
school year. Feedback will be applied in preparation for a nationwide program
rollout at the start of the 2017-2018 school year. Schools and school districts who
want to apply to the program can visit
www.sprint.com/1million
information.
Anyone looking to support the program can visit
www.sprint.com/give1mp
card.1 Sprint stores continue to accept monetary and device donations. Used mobile
devices can also be donated online.2 Devices will be recycled or resold with net
proceeds benefiting the 1Million Project. Visit
www.sprint.com/1millionproject
information, and follow and support the program on social media by using the hashtag
#1MillionProject.
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 60.2
million connections as of Sept. 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
www.facebook.com/sprint
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.
1 Cash donations for the 1Million Project are tax-deductible charitable
contributions to the Sprint Foundation.
2 Device donations are not tax deductible. Net proceeds from reselling/recycling
donated devices or $1 per device, whichever is greater, will be donated to the
program.