One South Carolina District Helps Families Prosper with Home Internet Access

A recent report released by the Hispanic Institute revealed some concerning trends for the Hispanic American community, among them that a lack of sufficient broadband Internet access is contributing to their inability to achieve the same financial and educational successes of other ethnic groups. Without adequate Internet access, affected families are unable to go online, where an increasing number of employment and school resources are available.

It’s a challenge similar to the one that South Carolina’s Richland School District Two found itself faced with as well: how do you equip both students — and their families — with the access to technology necessary to be successful in today’s competitive landscape?

In the case of Richland Two, a pilot project targeting families lacking home Internet access was the first step. By mapping data, the district was able to identify 25 families, mostly Hispanic, many of whom were first generation immigrants. These families were given Kajeet SmartSpot® devices to use at home. These devices enabled kids to access filtered, Internet broadband and parents to access community and job search resources.

“Being able to offer filtered Internet content was key,” says Donna Teuber, Team Lead for Technology Integration. “The Kajeet SmartSpots have been a great way for us to get Internet access into those homes, and from what we are seeing, it is having a tremendous impact!”

Read the complete Richland School District Two case study here.