Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf visited Futures Elementary, Community United Elementary and Coliseum College Prep Academy to help hand out a portion of the 1,500 Chromebooks and T-Mobile Hotspots that were distributed in the #OaklandUndivided Campaign today — two weeks earlier than expected!
Another 23,000 devices will be distributed in the coming weeks to students across Oakland’s public schools.
Computers and internet access have been distributed over the past several weeks to ensure all OUSD students can access the internet at home, but this was the first major distribution event since the 25,000 Chromebooks ordered by the campaign in early June started arriving in Oakland.
“Here in the 21st century, students cannot fully access their education unless they have a computer and the internet at home,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “Many of our families are able to give their students these critical tools, while many families don’t have enough resources. When students cannot fully access their education at home, they are at a serious disadvantage. We deeply appreciate this partnership, and all the remarkable supporters who helped make this plan to close the digital divide a reality. Monday will be a life-changing day for hundreds of OUSD students.”
It’s important to note that our students get to keep these computers throughout their entire educational careers. The mission of the #OaklandUndivided Campaign is to close the digital divide once and for all. That means creating an environment in which all Oakland public school students have computers and internet access at home.
“We are on a mission to make Oakland a national model on how to close the digital divide and close the education gap,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “Every family, every resident, and every child in Oakland deserves access to consistent internet and computer devices. We are rallying as a community to provide these essential services for our most vulnerable residents, and I am grateful for every donation and to every community organization who has joined us in this historic effort.”
The #OaklandUndivided Campaign is a collaboration between OUSD, the City of Oakland and Mayor Libby Schaaf, Tech Exchange, the Oakland Public Education Fund, and Oakland Promise. The goal is to provide a computer to every student in District-run and charter schools who need technology at home and qualify for the program. Within days of the campaign beginning, it had raised $12.5 million from Twitter and Square CEO, Jack Dorsey and Zynga founder, Mark Pincus, among others. That was enough to outfit all students in need with a Chromebook, a hotspot courtesy of T-Mobile, and access to tech support across multiple languages.
For more information, visit www.OaklandEdFund.org/DigitalDivide
Help Spread the word to get everyone connected: All Oakland public school families are encouraged to complete the Tech Check survey online or with support from school site staff in order to receive their computer and internet. Families can visit undivided.techexchange.org directly to register online or connect with their school site for details about receiving their device
To get more involved in #OaklandUndivided, you can sign up to endorse #OaklandUndivided or donate to the #OaklandUndivided campaign.
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