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Announcing Digital Bridge K-12 Project to Support Distance Learning for SFUSD Students

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Digital Bridge K-12 will help get students the Internet access they need to continue learning during the pandemic.

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On Friday, April 3rd, 2020, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a partnership between EducationSuperHighway, the 1Million Project Foundation, and San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to provide connectivity support for the thousands of students in San Francisco who lack home Internet access.

As part of the new Digital Bridge K-12 project, 25 WiFi SuperSpots will be installed in San Francisco to serve students who need to participate in distance learning due to COVID-19 school closures. 29% of SFUSD students do not have Internet access at home.

The 25 SuperSpot devices will be located in areas of highest need. As SFUSD schools remain closed and the District transitions to distance learning, it’s more important than ever that every student has access to the Internet to continue learning.

Each SuperSpot will provide Internet access for 100 users and is powered by the Sprint Network. The SuperSpot equipment, installation, and operating costs are fully covered by philanthropic funding from the 1Million Project Foundation and EducationSuperHighway. In addition to the SuperSpot devices, we will explore other low-cost options for delivering home Internet access to students.

“Every student in San Francisco needs to be able to stay connected to their teachers and classmates and keep learning as they stay home with their families during this time, regardless of where they live or if their family can afford to pay for high-speed Internet,” said Mayor Breed. “I want to thank our nonprofit partners for working with us to make sure our students can keep learning remotely.”

SFUSD estimates that approximately 10,000 students in grades 3-12 need access to a device and WiFi to support distance learning at home.

“As schools close their doors, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed America’s homework gap. Digital Bridge K-12 will provide thousands of students in the San Francisco Bay Area with the Internet access they need to continue learning during this crisis,” said Evan Marwell, Founder and CEO at EducationSuperHighway. “We are proud to provide this immediate support and look forward to sharing a playbook of lessons learned and practical solutions for addressing the comprehensive connectivity needs of students everywhere.”

To read the press release, visit: https://sfmayor.org/article/mayor-london-breed-announces-partnership-increase-free-Internet-access-support-distance

About SFUSD
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is the seventh-largest school district in California, educating over 57,000 students every year.

About 1Million Project
The 1Million Project Foundation will help 1 million high school students who do not have reliable Internet access at home reach their full potential by giving them mobile devices and free high-speed Internet access. Today’s learning environment requires 24/7 Internet access in order to study, learn, explore, and complete school work from home. Students who cannot connect when they leave school are at a disadvantage, and their chances of staying on track in school are greatly limited. By working with school districts across America, the 1Million Project Foundation seeks to remove a significant hurdle in these students’ lives by ensuring they have the same access to the Internet as any other student so that they too have a fair shot at achieving their full potential. For more information, visit www.1MillionProject.org.

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