Truist Cares Grant Helps Close Digital Divide for 2,100 Students

The COVID-19 pandemic made the back-to-school season anything but routine for parents with school-aged children, and remote learning proved more of a challenge for some. Inequities in internet and technology access existed before the pandemic. But a Truist Cares grant to Community Education Alliance, who worked with Empowering Communities Corp, helped bridge the gap so students could thrive academically, socially and emotionally. Truist Cares is a cooperative effort between Truist Financial Corporation, Truist Foundation, Inc., and Truist Charitable Fund to provide communities, organizations and individuals disaster relief and assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Teams from Truist, Hotwire Communications and Dell Technologies collaborated to create The Home Page Program. The program includes free Dell Chromebooks, Wi-Fi access and ongoing support for 2,100 underserved households in East Spencer, North Carolina, Broward County, Florida and the Belmont Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Students received backpacks with a Chromebook, notebook, headphones, color pencils, pencil pouch, webcam cover and stickers—things they needed to begin school with confidence and hope for a better future. Each student and family can also access a special website using their new Chromebook. The website includes school resources and additional activities to encourage learning, such as WORD Force, an early literacy game for K-2 students, thanks to a strategic partnership between Truist and EVERFI, a digital education leader.

View a video about The Home Page Program here to see how Truist is fulfilling its purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities.