STURGEON BAY – Nearly 100 children who are members of the Boys & Girls Club of Door County went home from the club Thursday with a surprise gift: free laptop computers.
The youth received the refurbished laptops from AT&T in partnership with Human-IT, a national company based in Los Angeles that refurbishes used laptops and other devices and provides these and other digital services to communities in need of better digital access, during an event in the club.
The children who received the laptops were pre-selected because they had limited internet access. According to a press release from AT&T, many club members who are students have little to no access to technology at home, or do not have enough equipment with which to do their homework.
The Boys & Girls Club provides its members with access to devices, high-speed internet and software programs to help them build academic skills and complete their homework during the school year, and the laptops are intended to ensure they have the devices they need they need to complete their schoolwork when they are at home.
“Our mission is to inspire young people to discover what is possible,” said Johanna Wicklund, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Bay & Lakes Region, in the news release. “All children need access to technology and devices at home to succeed in their schoolwork. These laptops will have an immediate positive impact on the lives of our club members.”
The press release states that an estimated 10% of Wisconsin households do not have access to the internet or connected devices needed to fully participate in the online world, a problem known as the “digital divide.” And access to reliable high-speed internet service in Door County and other rural areas of the state has long been an issue, with AT&T in the past year entering into separate public-private partnerships with the cities of Sturgeon Bay, Sevastopol and Egg Harbor to provide them with broadband services previously were not available.
“We believe that everyone, especially our youth, should have access to the opportunities that connection brings, regardless of their income or zip code,” Robyn Gruner, director of external affairs for AT&T Wisconsin, said in the release. “Too many students face challenges to success due to digital divide barriers, especially underserved communities. AT&T is proud to deliver these devices to those who need them most, helping them connect to greater possibilities.”
The contribution of 100 laptops is part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative to help close the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability and safe adoption. The company has committed $5 billion to help 25 million people stay connected to affordable, high-speed internet by 2030.
ccontact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County Boys & Girls Club kids surprised with free laptop computers
