Donation part of Comcast’s ongoing partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs, investment in Flint; Comcast volunteers will participate in Club Cleanup Event
Comcast is donating 100 laptops and a $20,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint to ensure local students and families have internet access as they approach summer break.
Laptop recipients will be Flint students and families who participate in programming through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint, including summer programs and year-round programming focused on digital skills, leadership and academic success.
“Before today, we had graduating seniors who were without laptops — for these students especially, access to these computers will change their lives,” said Tauzzari Robinson, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint. “We believe success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors, and partnerships with organizations like Comcast are essential to enabling young people — especially those who need us most — to reach their full potential in an increasingly digital world.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint will use grant funds to expand access to digital literacy training for students. The programming is accessible through both the Averill Club and Bristol Rd. Extension Club locations — in addition to high-speed internet access, digital devices and workforce development programming — for all Club members.
“Before today, we had graduating seniors who were without laptops — for these students especially, access to these computers will change their lives.”
-Tauzzari Robinson, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint
According to a Michigan State University report, students who are dependent on a cell phone alone for internet access — or lack reliable home Internet access — have their ability to complete homework and develop digital skills outside of school greatly impacted, as well as rendering them more likely to experience deficits in academic performance and well-being.
In Flint and across Michigan, Comcast is working with state and local officials to invest in communities most in need of fast, reliable broadband service in unserved and underserved areas of the state.
“Increasing digital equity unleashes the potential of high-speed internet at home — even more so when school is out of session,” said Craig D’Agostini, Comcast vice president, government & regulatory affairs. “We’re proud to be a partner in Flint’s digital equity journey, and to continue to work with community leaders to provide the latest technology in a way that benefits everyone — not just in the most affluent neighborhoods.”
This laptop donation is part of Project UP, Comcast’s 10-year, $1 billion commitment to help make digital equity a reality in communities the company serves in Flint and across the country. To support Michigan’s digital equity efforts, Comcast offers several programs to increase internet accessibility and skills training opportunities, including:
- The Comcast Internet Essentials program provides low-cost, high-speed broadband service for $9.95 a month to eligible low-income households, connecting more than one million students, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities in Michigan enrolled in a variety of government assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, the Federal Pell Grant program, SNAP, SSI, WIC, and others.
- Comcast operates eight Lift Zones in the Flint area, and more than 60 Lift Zones across Michigan. Lift Zones are robust Wi-Fi hotspots in safe spaces where kids and adults can access free high-speed WiFi, learn digital skills, and participate in remote learning.
- Comcast has made more than $16 million in cash and in-kind donations to community-based organizations in Michigan over the last three years, focusing on initiatives designed to foster digital equity.
