Comcast, in partnership with Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno, has awarded the YMCA of Greater Springfield a $25,000 grant from Comcast to support digital literacy programming and access to the Internet at the YMCA’s North End Youth Center, which also features a Comcast Lift Zone.
“This grant from Comcast will support technology programming and digital skills training for teens here at our North End Youth Center technology lab,” said Dexter Johnson, President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater Springfield. “Our goal is to teach virtual coding and robotics in our after-school teen program, components of which include computer programming, information technologies and video game design. This is all possible because of the increase bandwidth provided by the Comcast Lift Zone . We are grateful to Comcast for this opportunity and for their financial support of our technology programming.”
“At Comcast, we believe in fostering communities where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, and we know we make the biggest impact when we partner with organizations like the YMCA of Greater Springfield to help bridge the digital divide,” said Dan Glanville, Vice President of Government Affairs and Community Impact for Comcast’s Western New England Region, which includes western Massachusetts. “We are proud to provide the YMCA’s North End Youth Center with a grant to support digital skills training and equipment, which will enhance the Comcast Lift Zone we installed at the Center to provide a space for students to access free internet connectivity.”
Comcast has installed over 1,000 WiFi-connected “Lift Zones” across the country, with 64 located across Massachusetts. These Lift Zones, which are based in community centers including the YMCA of Greater Springfield, have helped students stay connected, get on-line, to do their school work and more. Free WiFi connectivity is essential to many youth in Springfield, including the teens that the YMCA serves at their North End Youth Center on Dwight Street.
Watch a recap of the grant announcement, here:
