WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In late July,
First Book released the results of a nationwide survey of educators
that shows 40% of children in need in the U.S. do not have reliable
internet and almost 40% are without access to functioning devices.
The closure of schools in March exacerbated an existing crisis in
education for children in poverty, millions of whom do not have
access to enable virtual learning. These children are isolated
without educational support and are falling further behind.
To address the issues of the digital divide intensified by the
COVID-19 pandemic, CDW-G, Intel Corporation and LEGO® Education and
the LEGO Foundation have worked with First Book to build the
Creating Learning Connections initiative. This initiative provides
learning solutions designed to fuel education during
this critical time by supporting several thousand students and
families in Title I schools in the United
States impacted by the pandemic. Students will receive
critical at-home and in–the-classroom learning resources, including
internet connectivity, technology devices and hands-on STEAM
learning solutions.
"For most students growing up in underserved communities,
without access to home computers or the Internet, learning during
the COVID-19 pandemic ended last spring," said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book.
"Educators serving kids in need have told us that their students
simply don't have the resources they need for distance learning.
While school districts and teachers have stepped up in amazing ways
to support their students during this time, leaving kids without
devices and connectivity is the equivalent of locking them out of
the school system. We are so grateful for the commitment and
leadership of Intel Corporation, LEGO Education, the LEGO
Foundation and CDW-G for helping us bridge the digital divide for
thousands of children in need across the country!"
Through this initiative, Intel and CDW-G are providing a total
of $5 million in personal computers,
software, configuration services and digital learning resources.
They are also providing stipends of $4,000 to each awarded district to address home
internet connectivity for kids in need. Additionally, the LEGO
Foundation is donating $2 million
worth of LEGO Education solutions to support STEAM learning at home
and in school. Districts will be invited to choose from three
age-appropriate solutions to support STEAM learning for grades 2-8:
LEGO Education SPIKE Prime, LEGO Education Simple Machines and LEGO
Education Simple & Powered Machines.
"At Intel, our purpose is to enrich the lives of every person on
Earth. COVID-19 has exacerbated the technology and educational
inequities in communities of need. Now more than ever, it is
critical that we come together to collaborate on our unique assets
and capabilities to ensure that students have access to a
meaningful virtual learning experience," said Brian Gonzalez, Senior Director, Global
Partnerships & Initiatives, Governments, Markets &
Trade Group at Intel. "Earlier this year, we pledged $50 million with our Pandemic Response Technology
Initiative, which included supporting online learning initiatives
like this. We're proud to partner with LEGO Education, the LEGO
Foundation, First Book and CDW-G to ensure that children do not
fall further behind due to the impacts of this pandemic."
"Providing students with technology tools and resources that
inspire active learning, collaboration and enable better
educational outcomes regardless of where learning occurs is central
to our core mission," said Joe
Simone, vice president of education at CDW-G. "We are
delighted to help equip the grant recipients, and are proud to
participate in such a meaningful program, particularly at a time of
such great need for many school districts, students and families
navigating distance learning."
As part of the grant, underserved families in 17 states will
receive support, with nearly 15,000 devices and 7,500 LEGO
Education solutions being delivered to 45 School Districts.
"This grant illustrates the critical need for, but also the
power of teaching with, technology and hands-on solutions to engage
and inspire students wherever and however they are learning. It's
never been more important to provide as many students as possible
with playful learning opportunities that can help build their
confidence and ultimately inspire a lifelong love of learning,"
said Esben Stærk, president of LEGO Education. "We look forward to
seeing all that these well-deserving teachers and students are able
to achieve with the resources provided through this program. From
making a mistake and trying again, to overcoming challenging
circumstances, kids teach us the important lesson that with
creativity and resilience, you can always rebuild, thrive, and
succeed."
The application period ran May 19 through
June 5 and 128 school districts applied. Through a
multi-phase review process forty-five school districts from around
the country were selected to receive grants in the fall. Schools
that were not selected to receive the grant will
receive $500 from Intel for use at the First
Book Marketplace to purchase new, high-quality books and
educational resources for their students.
For additional information, learn more at
www.firstbook.org/creatinglearningconnections.
About First Book
Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1992 as a 501(c)3
nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is a leader in the
educational equity field. Over its nearly 30-year history, First
Book has distributed more than 200 million books and educational
resources, with a retail value of more than $2.0 billion. First
Book believes education offers children in need the best path out
of poverty. First Book breaks down barriers to quality education by
providing its network of more than 475,000 registered teachers,
librarians, after school program leaders, and others serving
children in need with millions of free and affordable new,
high-quality books, educational resources, and basic needs items
through the award-winning First Book Marketplace nonprofit
eCommerce site. All formal and informal educators serving children
in poverty are encouraged to join the First Book Network, the
largest and fastest-growing community of their peers, here.
First Book also expands the breadth and depth of the education
field through a family of social enterprises, including First Book
Research & Insights, its proprietary research initiative, and
the First Book Accelerator, which brings best-in-class research to
the classroom via relevant, usable educator resources. First Book
Impact Funds target support to areas of particular need, such as
rural communities or increasing diversity in children's books.
For more information, visit firstbook.org or follow the latest
news on Facebook and Twitter.
About CDW-G
CDW Government (CDW-G) is a wholly owned
subsidiary of CDW Corporation (Nasdaq: CDW). CDW is a leading
multi-brand technology solutions provider to government, education
and healthcare organizations in the
United States, the United
Kingdom and Canada. For
more information about CDW-G, please visit www.cdwg.com.
About Intel Corporation
Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is
an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables
global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moore's Law, we
continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of
semiconductors to help address our customers' greatest challenges.
By embedding intelligence in the cloud, network, edge and every
kind of computing device, we unleash the potential of data to
transform business and society for the better. To learn more about
Intel's innovations, go to newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.
© Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo and other Intel marks
are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other
names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
About LEGO Education
LEGO® Education offers hands-on, playful STEAM
learning experiences based on the LEGO® system of
bricks, hardware, software and content for students and their
teachers in early learning, primary, and secondary education as
well as through after-school programs and competitions. These
solutions create an environment for active, collaborative learning
where students build skills for their future, a lifelong love for
learning and confidence in their ability to learn and solve
problems, setting them up for lifelong success.
About the LEGO Foundation
The LEGO Foundation aims to inspire and develop the builders of
tomorrow; a mission that it shares with the LEGO Group. The LEGO
Foundation is dedicated to building a future where learning through
play empowers children to become creative, engaged, lifelong
learners. Its work is about re-defining play and re-imagining
learning. In collaboration with thought leaders, influencers,
educators and parents the LEGO Foundation aims to equip, inspire
and activate champions for learning through play. Learn more on
www.LEGOfoundation.com.
Media Contact:
Samantha Sigler
503-758-2474
ssigler@we-worldwide.com
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SOURCE First Book