Connect Our Students With Cincinnati Pilot Program

Press release from Cincinnati Public Schools:

June 11, 2020

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Cincinnati Bell, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), Greater Cincinnati Foundation, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, and ComputerXpress are partnering with several organizations to help thousands of K-12 public school students in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky access low-cost Internet connectivity at home in time for the 2020-21 school year.

There are approximately 283,000 public school students in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 46,200 of those students have no Internet service at home. This lack of digital equity creates unequal access to information, technology, and opportunities to learn, which further widens the well-documented achievement gap. The ramifications of unequal digital access became particularly clear in March when schools transitioned to remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and thousands of students could not participate.

The “Connect Our Students” program is focused on increasing digital equity through pilot programs in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky that will be tailored to meet the needs of local school districts. These pilot programs, which start in June, will help partners identify learnings and best practices necessary to expand the “Connect Our Students” program to additional public school students throughout the summer.

Cincinnati Pilot Program

The Cincinnati pilot program will deliver connectivity to approximately 2,000 qualifying students from five CPS schools who currently lack Internet access: Rockdale Academy, South Avondale School, Hays-Porter Elementary School, Roberts Academy, and Fairview Clifton German Language School.

CPS officials are working with Cincinnati Bell to identify qualifying students and facilitate installation. All connections will be compliant with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

“Approximately 24 percent of our families do not have access to the internet, according to data released by the U.S. Census in 2019,” said Laura Mitchell, superintendent of Cincinnati Pubic Schools. “We are honored to be a part of the ‘Connect our Students’ pilot, and appreciate the support of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati Bell, and ComputerXpress. This private-public community partnership is critical to help remove barriers to remote learning and increase technology equity and accessibility.”

The following organizations are funding the Cincinnati pilot program: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Interact for Health, the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, StrivePartnership, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

“Connecting students from low-income families to the Internet has become even more urgent with the switch to online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Greater Cincinnati Foundation President and CEO Ellen M. Katz. “These students already run into significant roadblocks to their education, and we know that clearing their paths to academic achievement is vital to their futures, and to that of our community.”

Funding Opportunities for Expansion Plans

Greater Cincinnati Foundation and several community leaders are working to identify additional funders to support expansion plans for the “Connect Our Students” program. Members of the public may also contribute to this effort to help connect students to the Internet. All funding from organizations and individuals will help offset costs so that Cincinnati Bell can deliver the necessary bandwidth to support interactive applications such as video calls for under $17 a month a month to qualifying students.

ComputerXpress has created a web site – www.connectourstudents.org – where organizations and individuals can contribute to the “Connect Our Students” fund, which will be managed by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

“Online learning and being digitally connected is taken for granted by most, but for many, access to the digital highway is blocked by orange barrels,” said Steve Pollak, owner of ComputerXpress. “It is incumbent upon us to work together and find solutions to break down the barriers and pave the onramp to the digital highway for students that would otherwise be left behind.”

The “Connect our Students” program continues Cincinnati Bell’s ongoing commitment to supporting students, families, and teachers across Greater Cincinnati.

“It is critical that all students in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have access to education – which means that all students must also have access to the Internet to participate in remote learning,” said Leigh Fox, President and CEO of Cincinnati Bell.

“Cincinnati Bell has invested over $1 billion to build out our fiber network – but that investment means nothing if students can’t access the Internet for school. We are proud to be part of the ‘Connect Our Students’ program and to be working with so many great organizations and individuals on this effort.”

This press release was produced by Cincinnati Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.