Comcast is awarding a total of $70,000 across three non-profit organizations in Western Massachusetts to help provide area residents and students with technology and computer skills training. These grants are a part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators.
The organizations that will benefit from these grants include:
- Tech Goes Home will receive $30,000 to offer its digital inclusion programs in Holyoke and Springfield, through which participants will complete 15 hours of digital skills training and earn a technology bundle that will include a personal device.
- Urban League of Springfield will receive $20,000 to support its digital learning lab, which provides participants with essential technology and Internet skills training, specialty workshops, the Urban League’s Project Ready Mentor and STEM youth programs, and more.
- Boys & Girls Club of Springfield will receive $20,000 to support its esports programming, through which participants build social-emotional and STEM skills by engaging in educational, hands-on gaming sessions led by Club staff.
“We are grateful to Comcast for supporting our efforts to help close the digital divide in Holyoke and Springfield,” said Daniel Noyes, Chief Executive Officer of Tech Goes Home. “By providing our participants with digital skills trainings and their own devices, we’re able to prepare them to navigate school, work and life. We are excited to see the impact we can make in Western Massachusetts, thanks to the support from Comcast.”
“We understand the critical role that the Internet plays in contributing to a future of unlimited possibilities for everyone across western Massachusetts,” said Carolyne Hannan, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s New England Region. “In today’s world, digital literacy is essential to success, which is why we continue to support programs that empower individuals to explore and understand digital media platforms and technical capabilities to set them up for their professional futures.”
Comcast is deeply committed to advancing digital equity in the communities it serves. Over the past three years, the company has invested over $54 million in cash and in-kind contributions to 238 non-profits in Massachusetts. This investment includes digital equity programs such as Internet Essentials and Lift Zones. Since its inception in 2011, Comcast’s Internet Essentials has connected more than 732,000 low-income Massachusetts residents to broadband service at home. Additionally, Comcast has launched more than 1,250 Lift Zones in community centers nationwide – with 76 locations in Massachusetts alone – to provide students and families with free, high-speed WiFi and digital skills training.
For additional information on Project UP and Comcast’s digital equity initiatives, visit https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/project-up.
