Edison International Donation Brings Laptops, Internet Access to Schools Navigating COVID-19 Impacts
27 October 2020 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Edison International today announced a $520,000 donation to the
California Bridging the Digital Divide (BDD) Fund, a statewide
effort to provide students with equitable access to quality public
education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation will result in
hundreds of refurbished laptops and expanded internet access for
school districts in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and
Tulare counties.
Edison International’s gift is comprised of an in-kind donation
of 600 refurbished laptops, valued at $270,000, and $250,000 in
cash grants.
“The COVID-19 crisis in K-12 education is taking a
disproportionate toll on students, families and educators in our
communities,” said Caroline Choi, senior vice president of
Corporate Affairs at Edison International and Southern California
Edison. “This donation will equip school districts in our service
area with needed resources to support distance learning for
thousands of students and teachers.”
The grants were paid using Edison International shareholder
dollars, not SCE customer funds.
Two San Bernardino County schools — Twentynine Palms High School
of the Morongo Unified School District and Clement Middle School of
the Redlands Unified School District — will receive 400 and 200
laptops, respectively, with updated software for distribution to
students. The laptops were previously used by SCE employees before
they were refurbished.
The Farmersville Unified School District (Tulare County),
Inglewood Unified School District (Los Angeles County) and Lake
Elsinore Unified School District (Riverside County) will receive
learning resources — hot spots, laptops and notebook computers —
funded by Edison International’s cash grants.
The California BDD Fund is a joint effort of the Governor’s
Office, the State Board of Education, the California Department of
Education and the Californians Dedicated to Education (CDE)
Foundation. Edison International partnered with the CDE Foundation,
which purchased the learning resources in bulk using funds from
Edison International’s cash grants. Based on initial survey data,
the foundation identified the schools most in need and allocated
the items accordingly.
The California BDD Fund seeks to address the digital divide to
build more equitable teaching and learning environments, especially
for special education, English learner, low-income and rural
populations.
Elected officials responded positively to Edison’s
International’s donation:
- State Sen. Steven Bradford (D-35), whose district includes
Inglewood, said, “Inglewood students and their families have been
working hard at the difficult task of adapting to distance
learning, and I thank Edison for their meaningful support. The need
for distance learning has proven that the digital divide is real in
both rural and urban communities. As these students and Inglewood
USD continue to respond to COVID-19 with safe, remote-learning
methods, students deserve as much support as we can provide them.
Edison’s support of this community is much appreciated.”
- State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-14), whose district includes much
of Tulare County, said, “Keeping students connected to the internet
and equipping them with laptops and technology is essential during
the current pandemic. Edison's donation to the California BDD Fund
will help equip students in Tulare County with what they need to
virtually attend school. Without their help, many kids in my
district would be unable to learn and grow.”
- State Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-28), whose district includes
Lake Elsinore, said, “California’s response to COVID-19 has created
many hardships, especially with regard to how we educate our
children; families are not able to obtain the technology needed for
virtual classrooms or have access to quality internet speeds. I
thank Edison for their generous donation to ensure that children in
the Lake Elsinore Unified School District have the tools they need
so they can continue to learn.”
- State Assembly Member Devon Mathis (R-26), whose district
includes most of Tulare County, said, “When life throws you a
curveball, it takes relationships and partnership between
government and the community to get the job done. I couldn't think
of a better school district to receive this donation. Thank you to
Edison and the (CDE) Foundation for giving these students a hand
up.”
- State Assembly Member Chad Mayes (IND-42), whose district
includes Twentynine Palms, said, “I’m very grateful for Edison
International’s effort to step up and help close the learning
divide as we continue navigating the challenges of distance
learning. These laptops will assist in our shared goal of equitable
learning opportunities.”
“We need to use technology as a tool to educate and not just for
distance learning. Devices are part of how we do schooling in the
21st century,” said Wendy Dougherty, chief operating officer of the
CDE Foundation. “We look at this as an opportunity to bridge the
digital divide. Hopefully, we have raised awareness of this
critical issue for the long term.”
About Edison International
Edison International (NYSE: EIX) is one of the nation’s largest
electric utility holding companies, providing clean and reliable
energy and energy services through its independent companies.
Headquartered in Rosemead, California, Edison International is the
parent company of Southern California Edison Company, a utility
that delivers electricity to 15 million people across Southern,
Central and Coastal California. Edison International is also the
parent company of Edison Energy, a global energy advisory company
delivering comprehensive, data-driven energy solutions to
commercial and industrial users to meet their cost, sustainability
and risk goals.
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Media Contact: Denise Luu, (626) 302-2255
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