St. Louis High Schoolers Get Free Phones, Cell Service

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 09/30/19

High school students in St. Louis Public School District received free smartphones and wireless connectivity from wireless provider Sprint as part of the 1million Project. This was the third year in a row when students in the district participated in the program. In the latest round, 1,200 students received devices, which they were told, they could "keep for good."

Sprint first committed to providing wireless broadband connectivity for up to 50,000 low-income K-12 students across the country in 2014, as part of the Obama administration's ConnectEd initiative, a public and private effort to put technology into classrooms and into the hands of students and teachers.

The latest distribution took place at Carnahan High School of the Future. Students received Samsung Galaxy J3 Achieve phones, along with cellular service. The phones include hotspot functionality that enables students to get access to the internet from their computers at home too.

"Many of our students are dealing with multiple hardships that make studying and learning difficult in their home environment," said Lewis Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen, during the presentation. "What we're doing today, through this Sprint 1million project is working to close the homework gap for these kids."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education Announces Accessibility Enhancements for DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education has updated DreamBox Math, an online math program for K–8 students to supplement core instruction, to improve accessibility for K–5 students, according to a news release. DreamBox Math provides personalized instruction by adapting to individual learners’ responses and providing an engaging, dynamic learning environment.

  • stylized illustration of a modern laptop on a classroom desk, displaying a digital AI certification

    Partnership Brings AI Credentialing Product to Minecraft Education Platform

    Prodigy Learning and Minecraft Education have partnered to bring credentialing in AI skills to the Minecraft learning environment. "AI Ready Skills" is the third learning, assessment, and credentialing product from the two companies.

  • metallic padlock with a glowing keyhole, set on a dark gradient background with a faint digital grid and blue-green highlights

    Microsoft Announces Security Updates

    Microsoft has introduced a handful of new security tools and updates, which the company said adhere to its Secure Future Initiative, a set of three core tenets emphasizing "secure by design, secure by default and secure operations."

  • abstract circuit patterns, featuring small icons of coins and dollar symbols in blue, green, and gold tones

    Report: 90% of Schools Depend on E-rate Funding Every Year

    A new report from Funds for Learning highlights the critical role of the Federal Communications Commission's E-rate program in funding essential technologies and services for K-12 schools.