Comcast Working to Bridge Internet Gap for Low-Income Families

Potomac Local Leaders

There was such a time when internet access was not available for the simple things like applying for a job, reading news, watching House of Cards on Netflix, or playing Words with Friends on your iPad. 

Even in 2013 there are still millions of Americans that do not have access to the internet. That lack of access is the difference between children performing well in school and employment opportunities within the tech industry.  

With the support of and community leaders like Comcast Director of Government and Community Affairs Marie Schuler , teamwork makes the dream work as we bridge the technology gap in our country.   

Vickers: Tell me more about yourself and something people may not know about you?

Schuler: I’m one of nine children. Our mother instilled the importance of volunteerism in us when we were young by taking us with her when she volunteered in the community. As I grew older, I continued her legacy of giving, working with a number of organizations focused on education, youth and the arts, including the Prince William chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, for which I’m excited to be joining the Board this September.

Vickers: Comcast has a great reputation for being involved in the community, especially helping provide internet access to those that need it most. What is your Internet Essentials program all about?

Schuler: Simply put, Internet Essentials is a program designed to get more low-income families online.  The Internet is a life-changing technology and it can be used to help connect families with educational and healthcare resources, job opportunities, government services and so much more.  

However, too many low-income families don’t have the means to access the Internet at home, and they’re facing profound disadvantages in everything from strengthening their job skills to getting the kind of health, educational and financial information that can help improve the quality of their lives. 

Internet Essentials aims to increase broadband adoption rates among low-income families by providing them with affordable Internet service (at less than $10 per month), a low-cost computer and access to free digital literacy training resources.  Our hope is that this program will ultimately help level the playing field of opportunity for the families it serves.

Vickers: There’s a great picture of you lifting 500 pounds of mulch somewhere online. In the picture you’re wearing a Comcast Cares Day t-shirt, what’s Comcast Cares Day?

Schuler: Comcast Cares Day is our annual, nationwide day of service in which our employees, alongside their families, friends and other members of the community, pitch in on hundreds of volunteer projects across the country. Being an active part of the communities we serve has always been central to our corporate culture, and Comcast Cares Day is just one way that our company and our employees give back.  It’s a truly inspiring day that our employees rally behind and enjoy.

In April, more than 70,000 volunteers came together to make a difference in their neighborhoods as part of the 12th annual Comcast Cares Day, including more than 300 volunteers who helped paint, pick up debris and generally beautify the Hylton Boys & Girls Club, a facility of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Prince William County/Manassas. We’re already planning another great project for 2014!

Vickers: Innovations come from looking at challenges in the world and creating creative/sustainable solutions. What invention would you create to solve the education gap and S.T.E.M. (Science Technology Education Mathematics) related jobs? 

Schuler: I think there is a lot of opportunity to incorporate S.T.E.M. education into the classroom and home, even at a very early age, through interactive, fun exercises that get children engaged, talking and thinking about how to apply science and technology in a practical and useful way, to benefit people in their everyday lives.

Comcast has a vested interest in providing young people – who are our future business leaders, community leaders, employees and customers – every opportunity to be prepared for the future, and building robust skills in fields like technology is particularly imperative in today’s digital world and competitive workforce. 

With the Internet becoming an increasingly critical tool in our daily lives, one major focus for Comcast has always been digital literacy learning and technology training, and we support that through a variety of innovative programs like Internet Essentials. 

Vickers: What upcoming projects are you working on and how can our readers help you?

Schuler: We’re always looking for local community partners to work with us to help spread the word about Internet Essentials.  We’ve been pulling out all the stops to make sure families know that the program is available to them, but we can’t do it alone. We need to mobilize numerous stakeholders to work together and make a difference.  Anyone interested in learning more about how they can help can visit partner.internetessentials.com.

Glenn Vickers is Regional Director of the Prince William/Manassas Boys & Girls Clubs. His experience in creating sustainable private/public partnerships is his passion. Strengthening philanthropic resource development, corporate citizenship and business operations keeps him busy. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @GOVickers. Enthusiasm is contagious.