BANGOR — To help provide equitable learning access and opportunities and keep local youth connected, UScellular has donated 100 wireless hotspots and two years of service to The Bangor Region YMCA as part of its After School Access Project. UScellular’s After School Access Project provides free mobile hotspots and service to nonprofits that support youth after the school day has ended and provides safe internet access for homework and education.
“The success of students in the communities we serve is very important to us at UScellular,” said Brandi McCune, director of sales at UScellular in New England. “Connecting people and communities is our mission and the After School Access Project is just one way that we’re helping ensure students have the reliable access they need to grow and pursue their dreams.”
Since the start of the program in 2021, the company has donated more than 9,300 hotspots, a value of $10.5 million, to its communities through this initiative. This includes more than $854,600 in wireless hotspots and connectivity to nonprofit organizations in Maine since 2021. Eligible 501c3 nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply by going to http://www.AfterSchoolAccessProject.com.
“We are so appreciative of the generous donation of hotspots that will help our Y provide critical connectivity to students in the Bangor Region both while in our program and at their homes as needed,” states Diane Dickerson, CEO of The Bangor Region YMCA. “The primary use will be to support after school programming specifically on addressing the education gap in low-income families. The hotspots will greatly help us reduce the homework gap for our students and families.”
The Bangor Region YMCA is a community leader in supporting children, adults, and families in their lifelong quest for physical, emotional, and social wellness. The Bangor Region YMCA will utilize the hotspots across a variety of settings to support youth in its programs. Most of the hot spots will be sent home to families and individuals identified by staff as having limited, or no access to quality internet at home.
In addition to school year programming, the Bangor Region YMCA operates two summer camps serving youth from the local area and across the state of Maine. Both Camp Jordan and Camp G. Peirce Webber strive to bring a higher level of experience using STEM and environmental education programming. This is particularly true at the day camp, Camp Peirce Webber, where highly trained staff are a critical component in the fight against summer learning loss for the more than 200 youth that attend every week. “Expanding this programming has been challenging in the past due to the remote nature of our program areas and dedicating just 8-10 of these hotspots to support these efforts will have an outsized effect on the thousands of participants each summer,” adds Dickerson.
The hotspots provided through After School Access Project connect to UScellular’s network to provide high-speed connectivity for youth throughout the Bangor Region while at the YMCA or at their home.
UScellular is focused on addressing gaps in STEM education and is committed to connecting more than 200,000 of tomorrow’s innovators each year with the resources they need today to help shape future opportunities. Since 2009, UScellular has invested more than $35 million in monetary donations, technology resources and countless experiences to nonprofit organizations across the country.
For more information about the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, please go to https://newsroom.uscellular.com/community/.
UScellular is the fourth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to help customers stay connected to the things that matter most. The Chicago-based carrier provides a strong, reliable network supported by the latest technology and offers a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. Through its After School Access Project, the company has pledged to provide hotspots and service to help up to 50,000 youth connect to reliable internet. Additionally, UScellular has price protected all of its plans, promising not to increase prices through at least the end of 2024. To learn more about UScellular, visit one of its retail stores or http://www.uscellular.com. To get the latest news, visit newsroom.uscellular.com.
