Verizon supports remote learning in New York City with $43M commitment, impacting 39,000 students

What you need to know:

• As COVID-19 causes some New York City schools to temporarily continue to distance learn, Verizon is supporting efforts to provide digital learning tools to students in the largest school district in the country with a $43 million commitment
• Verizon is donating mobile hotspots equipped with data plans to 20,000 students in New York City to support remote learning
• COVID-related grants from Verizon to education nonprofit organizations will provide STEM opportunities for NYC students in grades K-8
• This school year, 15 NYC Title I middle schools joined Verizon Innovative Learning, providing 1:1 devices, Internet access and teacher training

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Nov. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With some New York City (NYC) public schools temporarily continuing to distance learn, Verizon is supporting efforts to bridge the digital divide in the nation’s largest school district with a $43 million commitment to enable more students to learn digitally. Verizon is supporting the district’s ongoing efforts to provide remote learning tools by donating 20,000 mobile hotspots to students who face barriers to internet and technology access in NYC Department of Education (DOE) schools, facilitated in partnership with the Fund for Public Schools, as well as providing grant funding to several education nonprofit organizations to enable continued STEM education. These initiatives are in addition to 15 NYC public schools joining Verizon Innovative Learning, the company’s education initiative focused on bridging the digital divide. Together, these efforts are part of Verizon’s continued commitment to Digital Inclusion, a key pillar under Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement.

"The hotspot donation, our commitment to work with local non-profits to benefit students and the expansion of our Verizon Innovative Learning Schools initiative further demonstrates our commitment to Verizon's home city," said Anthony Lewis, Region Vice President of State Government Affairs at Verizon. "Our students need connectivity to enable learning from home, and we are proud to step up and be part of the solution."

“Thank you to Verizon for boosting our efforts to support our City’s public school students and their families in this critical moment,” said Julie L. Shapiro, Chief Executive Officer of the Fund for Public Schools. “Your donation will go towards the NYC Department of Education’s essential work of ensuring students have the resources they need to succeed – no matter where they are learning.”