The gap in digital access—often termed the "digital divide"—in Sacramento is being incrementally bridged thanks to a collaborative effort by AT&T and local nonprofits, delivering hundreds of laptops and backpacks filled with school supplies to students and families in need. According to a report by The Sacramento Bee, the distribution event took place Saturday morning, driven by AT&T's Connected Learning initiative and executed with the help of Sacramento-based nonprofits, these organizations were integral in identifying the beneficiaries for this crucial tech boon.
In totality, about 26,000 laptops have been disseminated across California since 2021, aiming to diminish the barrier between students and their online educational needs—5% of California households still remain without internet or the necessary devices to connect, AT&T's induced effort hopes to change that reality. Marc Blakeman, president of AT&T California and Pacific States, told The Sacramento Bee that the effect of the initiative is visibly poignant, recounting interactions with recipients who are incredulous at their newfound ownership of technological resources, often asking, "I don't have to give this back?"
The recent event, hosted at Sacramento State, saw 500 laptops and 300 backpacks make their way into the hands of eager learners, ahead of the upcoming school year, each laptop and backpack were carefully refurbished and equipped by Human-I-T, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing e-waste and enhancing digital inclusion. KCRA noted that the initiative not only focuses on the academic benefits but also on bridging the internet accessibility gap that disproportionately affects low-income students, convening elements of equity into the fabric of education.
Deep-rooted in the mission to foster autonomy and success, Saint John’s Program for Real Change serves as a quintessential example of the initiative's impact, providing residential support for homeless women and their children, access to technology is critical in supporting these women in their journey towards stability; Shahnaz Van Deventer from Saint John’s highlighted in an interview with The Sacramento Bee the essentiality of the internet in job searches, healthcare access, and assuring that once participants exit the program, they are equipped to thrive in a digital-centric society. Meanwhile, recipient Shelena Webb, reflecting on the materialization of her own academic aspirations, told The Sacramento Bee, "will make a huge impact" on her ongoing college education, inferring the consensual sentiment that these devices are, indeed, lifelines to broader horizons.
