Supervisor Susan Peters urges Parents to help their Children
Having internet access and being able to use a computer is becoming an essential part of today’s educational curriculum and Comcast Cable wants to help low-income families with children in school by providing affordable internet service and a low-cost computer. Supervisor Susan Peters is urging all eligible families to apply for Comcast’s special program so their children can have the tools to succeed.
“A family computer is a valuable resource that can aid a child’s education and help move us one step closer to developing a 21st-century workforce," says Peters. "Internet access is essential to help educate and train our children so they are prepared for the future.”
Comcast’s program is called "Internet Essentials" and provides low-cost Internet connectivity, affordable computers and digital literacy training to families with at least one child in grades K-12 who qualifies for the federal free lunch program. These eligible families are able to purchase broadband service for a low rate of $9.95 a month from Comcast, obtain a computer of their own for $149.95 (plus tax), and receive free internet training.
It is estimated that approximately 33 percent of American homes are not connected to the Internet. Many families do not understand the relevance of computer use and how their children need to use computers to progress in school and that disadvantage can be compounded due to the lack of ability to afford a computer and internet service.
Any family eligible for the program can call 1-855-846-8376 to sign up. Information also is available online at InternetEssentials.com.
"Comcast’s program will enable parents to receive computer literacy training so they can help their children as well as do things like apply for jobs online or use the Internet to learn more about healthcare and social services available where they live," Peters added. “I urge all eligible families to apply for Comcast’s special program.”