Teaming Up with the Buffalo Bills Social Justice Fund to Connect Students in Need

At the start of the 2020-2021 school year, school districts across the country faced difficult decisions about how to proceed with learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many districts decided to transition to full or hybrid distance learning, making access to technology vital for millions of students. While this transition presented a challenge for all, those who face barriers connecting to the internet had an even more difficult transition to virtual classes and online homework. To help address this problem for students in Buffalo, NY, Charter’s Spectrum Enterprise teamed up with Buffalo Public Schools and the Buffalo Bills Social Justice Fund to deploy our Stay Connected K-12 solution. 

Stay Connected K-12 provides schools the ability to offer high-speed, cable broadband internet access to students in their own homes so learning and teaching can continue uninterrupted and maximizes flexibility for districts, allowing them to add students to the program as needed. Students’ families are not billed for the service, and the Buffalo Bills Social Justice Fund donated $500,000 to help the school district cover expenses.

“Through Stay Connected K-12, the Spectrum Enterprise team is helping to close the homework gap, providing the high-quality connectivity needed to have a successful educational experience. The turnkey solution is easy for school administrators to put into place, freeing them to maximize their focus on learning and student achievement.”
Bill Archer, EVP, Charter Communications and President, Spectrum Enterprise

“Teachers and staff across Buffalo Public Schools are dedicated to providing each child equal access to high-quality education. We are grateful to the Buffalo Bills and Spectrum Enterprise for helping to ensure that we continue to deliver on that promise.”

 

“It is always a good day when we can expand technology options in the City of Buffalo to ensure that no child and no family is left on the wrong side of the digital divide. Now, more than ever, students in Buffalo need reliable connectivity to the online tools necessary for their education, during these difficult times, in particular as Buffalo Public Schools have gone fully remote.”

Charter has already connected thousands of students and educators through Stay Connected K-12, which combines the robust speeds and rich features of Spectrum Internet, including:

• Download speeds up to 50 Mbps to support video collaboration and large file transfers.
• In-home Wi-Fi to connect all of the Wi-Fi-enabled devices in the residence.
• Unlimited usage with no data caps, providing school districts with a consistent cost per user.
• Self-installation kit with modem and router that allows end-users to get connected quickly and easily.

At a time when connectivity matters more than ever Charter’s 96,000 employees across our 41-state footprint have been hard at work to meet growing connectivity demands and expand service to help people and institutions. Stay Connected K-12 is an example of our commitment to expanding broadband access during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring that learning, teaching, and working can continue.