Comcast joined Aurora Public Library District (APLD) officials recenty to announce a $30,000 donation to the Aurora Public Library District Foundation to fund a digital navigator program at Santori Library, 101 S. River Street in Aurora. Digital navigators are professionals who link residents to resources that can help them build the digital skills needed to succeed in school, participate in the workforce, and connect to programs that can help them access and pay for broadband Internet service at home, including:
- Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal program which can provide up to $30 per month toward the cost of eligible households’ Internet and mobile bills;
- Internet Essentials, a Comcast program that provides low-cost Internet service at home to eligible low-income households with students of all ages, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and public housing residents. Internet Essentials has helped 1.9 million Illinois residents connect to the Internet at home since it launched in 2011. The ACP can cover the full cost of Internet Essentials, making it free for eligible households.
“Comcast is deeply committed to advancing digital equity in the communities we serve. For more than a decade, we’ve worked with hundreds of partners across Illinois, from libraries, school districts, and elected officials to community-based organizations, to help bridge the digital divide,” said Carl Jones, Jr., Comcast’s regional vice president of external and government affairs.
“Together, we’ve made considerable progress, but there is more work to do. I’m proud that Comcast continues to make investments and provide solutions to further our commitment to this critical issue.”
“Our libraries connect residents to services and programs designed to foster lifelong learning,” said Michaela Haberkern, Aurora Public Library District’s Executive Director. “Comcast’s support will help us equip our customers with the resources and training that will put them on a path to success in our digital world.”
“We’re grateful for Comcast’s continued partnership and support to help us deliver on our mission, which is to strengthen families, so they build social capital and achieve upward economic mobility,” said Christina Campos, Family Focus Aurora’s assistant center director. “Laptops are important tools to help them participate and succeed in today’s digital age.”
The grant funding and laptop donations are part of Project UP, Comcast’s 10-year, $1 billion commitment to help make digital equity a reality in communities the company serves in Illinois and elsewhere across its footprint. To that end, Comcast has made more than $91 million in cash and in-kind donations to community-based organizations in Illinois over the last three years, mostly to initiatives designed to foster digital equity.
—Aurora Public Library District