Doing homework at home will get a little easier for 1,500 Atlanta high schoolers who soon will be able to access the internet outside of school.
Atlanta Public Schools started passing out electronic devices with internet service this week to students thanks to a partnership with Sprint and the Sprint Foundation.
The school district will distribute devices today at Mays High School.
It launched the project Tuesday at Douglass High School. A dozen APS high schools will participate in the program, according to a school district news release.
The cell phone carrier calls the effort the Sprint 1Million Project.
The company intends to provide Dekalb County School District with 5,000 devices, according to a news release earlier this month.
By the program’s fifth year, about 25,000 APS students -- nearly half of the district’s total enrollment-- will have access to a device.
The effort is aimed at closing the “homework gap” for students who don’t have internet access at home and struggle to complete class work that requires online research.
Students will receive a smartphone, tablet, or a wireless hotspot device free of charge for use during their high school careers.
“High school is a critical time for students’ future success. It’s our hope that the 1Million Project provides them with the tools they need for academic success,” said Brian Miller, Sprint’s president for the Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama region, in a written statement.
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