Break Digital Divide

Last March, Arizona schools shut down. While remote learning sounded like a quick fix, this decision exposed long-standing inequalities within our own communities, especially access to technology and thus, unfortunately, education. Families that could afford technology adjusted easily, but those who couldn’t were at a clear disadvantage­­ –– Digital Divide.
 
As high school seniors with the advantage of digital resources, we realize the significant role technology has played in providing ––or curbing–– education during the pandemic. School shall not be a privilege. School is essential. We believe this should be the reality for all students, and in order to help make it so, we need your help. 
 
In our mission to break this Divide, we learned about Alhambra Elementary School District, where challenges of COVID-19 have been especially difficult. Schools here had to completely shut down last spring as majority of its families could not afford the technology for remote education. Such a trend is continuous this year: Surveys show that about 3400 families cannot support their student’s education since they cannot afford WIFI connectivity. So, we chose to help.
 
We need your assistance in preventing technology from curbing the education of these 3400 families. Our world, and certainly their world, has brought about so many difficulties, and we hope to prevent schooling to be one.
 
What exactly does your money do?
Every dollar you donate will help in sustaining K-4 students’ education at Alhambra Elementary School District, where most of residents fall below poverty line, by completely paying for WIFI. In a school where 92% of the students qualify for free/reduced lunch, the value of your donation will be hefty. While these students face stringent complications like homelessness and poverty, we believe an opportunity to education is a weighty alleviation. And that is only possible with your help.
 
Our Go Fund Me will donate 100% of the funds to Alhambra Education Partnerships, a registered Arizona 501(c)(3) organization. The nonprofit will then donate it to Alhambra Elementary School District to be used to provide complete, reliable WIFI through the Connect2Compete plan offered by COX.
 
Costing around $10 per month with a complimentary two-month period, an $80 donation can fund a family’s WIFI for the entire school year.  

 Please note that corporations and nonprofits are encouraged to donate directly to the501(c)(3). These fund will be added to the same line item as the GoFundMe.
 
With your help, we can do our small part in ensuring access to education is not dependent on economic status. Please help us break Digital Divide. 
 
Any amount of your donation is invaluable to helping children receive quality schooling. We greatly appreciate your support. 
 
Thank you,
Neha, Tony, and Lauren.