December 5, 2019

Media Advisory

WHAT:    SAISD to announce initiative with 1Million Project Foundation to help ensure high school students who don’t have reliable internet access at home get the digital tools and connectivity they need for “learning everywhere.”  Eligible participating students will receive wireless devices and data access – at no cost, thanks to the 1Million Project Foundation. 

Media are invited to see the start of the rollout of devices to eligible students at Lanier High School. 

WHEN:    Friday, Dec. 6, 9:30-10:00 a.m. 

WHERE:   Lanier High School library, 1514 W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. 

WHO:      Patti Radle, SAISD Board President 
                  Pedro Martinez, SAISD Superintendent 
                  Dr. Kenneth J. Thompson, SAISD Chief Technology Officer 
                  Dr. Moises Ortiz, Lanier HS principal 
                  Lanier HS students

Each participating student with the required parent permission will receive either a free hotspot device or smartphone and 10GB of high-speed LTE data per month for up to four years while they are in high school. Every device has a free Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) compliant content filter to block adult content and malware. 

Through the grant from the 1Million Project Foundation, SAISD will be distributing devices to eligible students at all SAISD high schools – about 49% of the SAISD high school population.

The 1Million Project Foundation launched in August 2017 with a mission to help one million high school students achieve their full potential by ensuring they have the digital tools and connectivity they need to succeed in school. 

SAISD is one of the districts participating during the third year of the program. To date, the 1Million Project Foundation has connected more than 226,000 students at over 1,900 high schools in 33 states. The foundation expects more than 70 new school districts and more than 100,000 high school students nationwide to join the initiative in its third year.