AT&T has opened its first Connected Learning Center on tribal lands in the US.
The center is inside the Rincon Education Department located on the Rincon Reservation in Valley Center, California, to provide Internet access and education tools where there are connectivity barriers.
The center will allow students from tribal communities to get online, parents to look for jobs and the community to access digital resources.
The opening of the center is part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative and a US$2 billion commitment from 2021 to 2023 to address the digital divide through Internet accessibility, affordability and safe adoption in underserved communities. In addition, the AT&T Foundation has made a US$50,000 contribution towards Rincon Education Department programming.
“Our investment in the AT&T Connected Learning Center at the Rincon Education Center directly reflects our commitment to get more unserved and underserved communities connected to the benefits of broadband,” said Marc Blakeman, AT&T California State President.
Chairman Bo Mazzetti of the Rincon Tribe said: “This is an absolute dream come true for our seniors, youth and the many tribal members who for many years did not have access to technology for the use of gathering information. This center will now enable our tribal members and lineals to have limitless learning and exciting possibilities through the power of technology.”
