CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Michael Miess, Region President for Sprint (NYSE:S), and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Superintendent Clayton Wilcox announced today that more than 4,000 CMS high school students will receive free mobile devices and high-speed wireless internet service from Sprint and the Sprint Foundation to help close the “Homework Gap” in North Carolina. In addition to CMS, the program will include eight public school districts across the state.
Through Sprint’s 1Million Project, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, participating high students will receive either a free smartphone, tablet, or hotspot device and 3GB of high-speed LTE data per month for up to four years while they are in high school. Unlimited data is available at 2G speeds if usage exceeds 3GB in a month. Those who receive a smartphone can use it as a hotspot.
North Carolina will be one of 32 states for the nationwide rollout beginning this fall which includes, 118 school districts, over 1,300 districts and 180,000 students. In total, Sprint will distribute more than 10,000 devices to school districts across North Carolina, including:
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools – 4,000 lines/students
- Guilford County Public Schools – 2,500 lines/students
- Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Schools – 1,400 lines/students
- Cumberland County Public Schools – 1,180 lines/students
- Buncombe County Public Schools – 700 lines/students
- Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools – 638 lines/students
- Rockingham County Public Schools – 323 lines/students
- Pitt County Public School – 306 lines/students
Approximately 5 million U.S. families with school-aged children do not have broadband access at home1, yet, at least 70 percent of teachers assign homework that requires web access2. In CMS, reports indicate that 70,000 students don’t have internet access3.
Anyone looking to support the program can visit www.sprint.com/give1mp to make a cash donation via credit card4. Used mobile devices can also be donated online or in Sprint stores. Devices will be recycled or resold with net proceeds benefiting the 1Million Project. Visit www.sprint.com/1millionproject for more information, and follow and support the program on social media by using the hashtag #1MillionProject.
Quotes:
“Sprint believes that there should be no barriers to a child’s potential,” said Michael Miess, Sprint’s President for the North Carolina and South Carolina region. “We’re incredibly excited about the impact our 1Million Project could have across the country and in the Carolinas. The next tech guru is out there, and so is the next groundbreaking scientist. It’s our mission to make sure nothing stands in their way.”
“Education is all about providing our students the tools they need to be successful, and Sprint’s generous donation significantly advances that mission,” said CMS Superintendent Clayton Wilcox. “This technology will help the learning process continue beyond the classroom. CMS is excited to see what our students create and learn with access to this state-of-the-art technology over their four years in high school.”
“Access to the internet is essential for student success,” said Congresswoman Adams. “I’m pleased to see this investment, which will help improve the learning experiences for Charlotte high school students inside and outside of the classroom and bridge the digital divide, ensuring all students have equal educational opportunities.”
About Sprint:
Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served 53.7 million connections as of June 30, 2017 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past five years. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
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| 1 | Pew Research Center > goo.gl/EmpJj8 | |
| 2 | The New York Times > goo.gl/5DacsH | |
| 3 | WBTV > goo.gl/lacCgJ | |
| 4 | Cash donations for the 1Million Project are tax-deductible charitable contributions to the Sprint Foundation. Device donations are not tax deductible. Net proceeds from reselling/recycling donated devices or $1 per device, whichever is greater, will be donated to the program. | |
