Acting Deputy Secretary of Education Jim Shelton will give brief remarks at the launch of Connect2Compete's EveryoneOn in New York City on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at Harlem's Community Action School – MS 258. He will highlight the importance of digital literacy and educational technology. The event will kickoff at 1:30 p.m., and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City Department of Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott and former New York Knicks NBA player John Starks are also scheduled to attend.
The goal of EveryoneOn, a national initiative, is to get Americans connected to the Internet at home through discounted high-speed Internet packages and low-cost computers. Connect2Compete has connected families to the Internet at home in cities across the country since the program was launched in 2012. New York City is the most recent launch.
The Administration is committed to access and equity in education technology. President Obama's new initiative ConnectED will connect 99 percent of America's students to the Internet through high-speed broadband and high-speed wireless within five years. With millions of students lacking high-speed broadband access and fewer than 20 percent of educators saying their schools’ Internet connections meet their teaching needs, ConnectED will bring high-speed Internet within reach, with a particular benefit for rural communities that have lagged behind in connectivity. ConnectED plays an important role in preparing America’s students to compete for jobs in the global economy.