Stamford Teens Surprised With Laptops From AT&T At Boys & Girls Club

STAMFORD, CT — More than 100 local students were given free refurbished laptops last week as part of a recent collaboration between AT&T, Human-I-T and the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford to help close the digital divide.

The students were surprised with the laptops during an open house hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, which allowed local teens to come and tour club facilities, including the new gym.

The laptops were made possible by an AT&T contribution to Human-I-T, and the effort is part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative.

According to the website Digital Bridge K-12, it’s estimated that more than 3,100 K-12 students in Stamford don’t have digital basics at home, including access to the internet, computers or skills needed to benefit from the online world, an issue known as the digital divide.

"At AT&T, we believe every student deserves an opportunity to make their dreams a reality," said AT&T Atlantic Region President John Emra, in a news release. "As we work to help close the digital divide, we are proud to work with organizations like the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, who work every day to provide such opportunities for success to students who need them most."

Craig Baker, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, said the laptops will be "a vital resource" for the teens.

"We appreciate AT&T's donation and all our partners that help provide youth with tools to succeed," he added in a news release.

State Rep. Matt Blumenthal (D-147) thanked AT&T, Human-I-T and the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford.

"Digital literacy is critical to full participation in economic and cultural life today and will only be more so in the future. These donated laptops will help ensure that at least 100 more young students will have the resources they need to succeed," he said.