A third of lower income households with children don’t have access to high-speed internet at home1. This inequality only furthers the homework gap and can put low-income students at a learning disadvantage. By giving students devices and access, we help underserved students develop the tools and confidence they need to become tomorrow’s innovators. More specifically, we hope we can ignite these students’ interest in STEM careers and give them the opportunity to become lifelong learners, creators, and problem solvers.
Taking responsibility for our shared future means ensuring the benefits of technology are available to all. Right now, millions of students here in the U.S. are lacking the connectivity, technology and skills required for success in today’s digital economy. That’s why we’ve been working to help foster digital inclusion through a transformative education program called Verizon Innovative Learning. It’s a key part of our goal to help move the world forward for all through Citizen Verizon, our responsible business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement.
All children should have access to technology and quality STEM education. Through Verizon Innovative Learning, we turn belief into action. The program helps students achieve, learn, and create more by providing free internet access and next-gen technology-infused lessons delivering a new way of learning in school or at home.
We work hand in hand with nonprofit partners and our team of education and technology experts to build and administer STEM-focused programs that create the kinds of transformations that change lives. We carefully measure and refine our programs to ensure we’re making a difference – and we have. Our programs drive real academic improvements such as increased proficiency in STEM and student engagement as compared to non-Verizon Innovative Learning schools.*
Additionally, we’re expanding our commitment to education through our growing online resource platform, making learning tools available to all educators and students, a key driver in our quest to reach 10 million youth by 2030. We’re also bringing 5G technology to schools through our innovative learning labs where our students and teachers are at the forefront of cutting-edge technology with a goal to deploy it in 100 schools in the coming years. Things like virtual and augmented reality, 3D printing, and more immersive collaboration can turn lesson plans into living, breathing, dynamic experiences.
Learn more at VerizonInnovativeLearning.com.
1. Horrigan, John B., The numbers behind the broadband ‘homework gap’ (Pew Research Center: 2015), https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/20/the-numbers-behind-the-broadband-homework-gap/
2. Westat (2018).Verizon Innovative Learning Schools – First Analysis of Student Administrative Data From Cohort 3 Schools
* Source: Westat (2019).Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Survey Result Dashboard Dec 2019
Verizon Innovative Learning Schools