By: Terry Johnson, CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland Metro
When I was a kid, growing up in Texas, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Permian Basin provided a safe environment for me to play and hang out with friends. Little did I know I was also establishing relationships with positive mentors and building essential life skills. Now, as the CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland Metro, I know many of the essential life skills our Boys and Girls Club kids need are digital. Furthermore, Internet connectivity is vital for each child to complete their schoolwork and continue learning over the summer.
That’s why Comcast’s WiFi-connected Lift Zones are such a welcome addition to Boys and Girls Clubs in Oregon and SW Washington. With 19 Lift Zones across the region, club kids can access their schoolwork from the safety of their home club. In addition to enabling distance-learning, Lift Zones have helped the staff of Boys and Girls Clubs by providing a separate network. Now, the staff can work to help the kids efficiently on one network, while the kids are simultaneously staying engaged with online programs and digital literacy trainings that provide the tools needed to thrive in today’s world on the other.
Comcast’s commitment to help connect all families, regardless of income, to the internet isn’t new. Comcast launched Internet Essentials, their low-cost internet adoption program, over a decade ago. The Boys and Girls Clubs are proud to partner with Comcast to help tackle digital inequities in our community.