Quad Cities youth involved with the YWCA of the Quad Cities soon will have improved internet access thanks to a generous donation by UScellular and its After School Access Project.
UScellular announced it is donating 300 wireless hotspots and two years of service to the Rock Island-based YWCA to help provide equitable learning access and opportunities. The wireless carrier’s donation, which is worth $337,800, will help support the youth after the school day has ended and at home while they are doing their homework.
In 2022, the YWCA of the Quad Cities served more than 600 kids in grades K-12, which UScellular said helped it determine how many hotspots to provide.
“The success of students in the communities we serve is very important to us at UScellular,” Joshua Olbricht, UScellular’s director of sales and operations for east Iowa, said in the release. “Connecting people and communities is our mission, and the After School Access Project is just one way that we’re helping ensure students have the reliable access they need to grow and pursue their dreams.”
UScellular reported in the release that more than 40 million people in the United States currently lack reliable access to high-speed internet. This can lead to an issue known as the “homework gap” among youth who lack proper internet access.
“The YWCA is so appreciative of this generous donation from US Cellular. The hotspots will be a tremendous asset to the youth attending programming at the YWCA,” Julie Larson, YWCA of the Quad Cities president and CEO, said in an email to the QCBJ. “Many families that we serve are forced to choose between paying rent and buying food. Purchasing internet service is usually cost prohibitive and not an option.”
She added: “We are so excited that we will now be able to supply our youths with hotspots so they can do homework, conduct job searches and complete employment applications for their homes.”
Through its After School Access Project, UScelluar provides free mobile hotspots and service to nonprofits that support youth after the school day has ended and provides safe internet access for homework and education.
Hotspots are stand-alone Wi-Fi networks that can connect several devices at once wirelessly and have proven to be a vital tool for youth to access the internet, study and complete homework.
In 2022 alone, UScellular invested $1.3 million in nonprofits with nearly 90% supporting STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities. It also reached more than 200,000 youth with STEM resources last year and connected more than 40,000 youth to wi-fi access, according to its website.
In the release, UScellular said it is focused on addressing gaps in STEM education and is committed to connecting more than 200,000 of tomorrow’s innovators each year with the resources they need.
Since 2009, UScellular has donated nearly $22.6 million along with countless experiences and technology items to nonprofit organizations across the country. To learn more about the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, visit here.
