LOWELL – One-hundred local students were given free laptops today as part of a recent collaboration between AT&T and Lowell nonprofit Project LEARN to prepare local students for their college and career journeys. The students were surprised with the laptops during a career fair cohosted by AT&T and Project LEARN at the Middlesex Community College Campus.
Friday’s event coincided with Massachusetts STEM Week and was attended by Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler. Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau also attended the event, along with other state and local officials.
The career fair allowed Lowell High School students who have previously participated in Project LEARN’s high school programs to visit with volunteers from AT&T and other local employers such as The Engineering Corp, Withings, Middlesex Community College and others, to discuss careers in technology. The fair also included a digital literacy workshop, teaching students critical skills needed to participate effectively and safely in today’s digital world.
The 100 laptops were made possible by a contribution from AT&T.
It’s estimated that in Lowell, nearly 5,000 K-12 students[1] don’t have digital basics at home, including access to the internet, computers or skills needed to benefit from the online world, an issue known as the digital divide.
These efforts are part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative to help address the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability and safe adoption.
“We’re thrilled to partner with AT&T on this Digital Equity Career Fair as part of Mass STEM Week,” said Project Learn Executive Director LZ Nunn.”These brand new laptops will support Lowell High students who’ve participated in our paid internships, early college and Google Coursera programs. We are grateful for AT&T’s support in making this possible, and we recognize that new laptops, as well as connections to local STEM companies, can be the difference maker to support our students’ career and college aspirations.”
“By empowering each and every one of our students to explore STEM opportunities available to them, and allowing them to see it as a viable, exciting pathway to their future, we will inspire the next generation of STEM innovators and the future leaders of the Commonwealth,” said Secretary Tutwiler. “I am thrilled to partner with Project Learn and ATT as we advance access to the digital world and inspire a new cohort of technologically inspired students to continue learning and pursue their dreams, whether that be in a STEM field or somewhere else.”
