NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Looks like we’re finally heading into the 21st century!
More than 900 high school students in Newport News Public Schools will receive free mobile devices and high-speed wireless internet service from Sprint and the Sprint Foundation. The generous donation will be made through Sprint’s 1Million Project to help close the “digital divide.”
Starting with the 2017-2018 school year, participating high school students will receive either a free smartphone, tablet or hotspot device and 3GB of high-speed LTE data per month for up to four years while they are in high school. Unlimited data is available at 2G speeds if usage exceeds 3BG in a month.
The devices will be given to students during a special Back-to-School Night “Activation Fair” at 6 p.m. on September 19 at Heritage High School and other NNPS high schools.
All students will receive a Chromebook for use at both school and at home as part of the school division-sponsored learning program that is under implementation at Heritage.
NNPS high school students responded to a survey to determine eligibility for participation in the project. Students who were selected do not have access to the Internet at home, nor do they have a smartphone or a computer.
Virginia is one of 30 states scheduled for the Sprint 1Million nationwide rollout this fall, which includes 118 school districts, more than 1,300 high schools and 180,000 students. According to Sprint, during the next five years, 1 million high school students will join the program.
Click here to read more about the Sprint 1Million Project.
When: Tuesday, September 19 at 6 p.m.
Where: Heritage High School, 5800 Marshall Ave, Newport News, Va.
Who: Heritage High School students without home access to the Internet, a smartphone or a computer
