Kajeet Awards $550K to Schools and Libraries

Wirless connectivity provider Kajeet has named 22 recipients for its 2022 Homework Gap grants, contributing $550,000 to schools and libraries in an ongoing effort to help students bridge the digital divide.

Each recipient gets as much as $25,000 to spend on Kajeet broadband solutions, including Wi-Fi hotspots, school bus Wi-Fi, LTE-embedded Chromebooks, and routers.

"With many students returning to in-person learning after a two-year hiatus, we cannot lose momentum in working to close the Homework Gap, which still plagues millions of American students," said Daniel J.W. Neal, chairman, founder, and CEO of Kajeet. “The Homework Gap existed long before the pandemic and continues to perpetuate inequities and cause enormous, missed opportunities. As a community, we must make every effort possible to connect students outside the classroom to the plethora of educational resources and opportunities that are only available to them via the Internet. The Kajeet Homework Gap Grant program is but one example among many of what we can do together to create complete digital equity – and maximize opportunities for success - for all of our students.”

The grant winners include:

• Ben Hill Elementary School (Georgia)
• Billings Public Library (Montana)
• Boys & Girls Club of McGehee (New York)
• Cabarrus County Library System (North Carolina)
• Cape Girardeau Adult Education & Literacy (Missouri)
• Center Point Public Library (Alabama)
• Central Consolidated School District (New Mexico)
• Central Greene School District (Pennsylvania)
• El Tejon Unified School District (California)
• Grand St. Settlement (New York)
• Heritage Academy Charter School (Idaho)
• Jasper County School District (South Carolina)
• Jersey City Public School s (New Jersey)
• Kahlotus School District (Washington)
• Montgomery City County Public Library (Alabama)
• New Jersey Institute of Technology (New Jersey)
• The Randolph Holder School for Social Justice (New York)
• Raton Public Schools (New Mexico)
• Sacramento Public Library (California)
• Sapulpa Bartlett-Carnegie Public Library (Oklahoma)
• Stillwater County Library (Montana)
• Summersville R-II School District (Missouri)

Kajeet’s Homework Gap Grant program provides the means for K-12 schools and districts, colleges and universities, and public libraries to connect students to safe, reliable internet outside of the classroom. Sixty-five schools, districts, colleges, non-profits and public libraries representing 22 states across the United States applied for the grant program, of which 22 winners were selected based on scores in four categories – Overall Application, Impact on the Homework Gap, Creativity and Innovation, and Program Sustainability.

Since launching the program in 2017, Kajeet reports that it has awarded more than $2,000,000 in broadband services to schools, districts, colleges and universities, public libraries and non-profits to close the digital divide and help ensure that all students have access to learning anytime, anywhere.

One of the 22 grant recipients, The Randolph Holder School for Justice (PS 253Q) in New York City, plans to use its grant to support its students with the full suite of solutions, including Wi-Fi hotspots, school bus Wi-Fi, Chromebooks, and routers.

“The students without internet at home are not able to access research-based programs to improve their literacy and math skills,” said Christiana Vasquez, assistant principal of The Randolph Holder School for Justice. “The number of missed opportunities adds up when you look at the evenings, weekends, breaks, and the summer. We are determined to close our achievement gaps and will use the grant to ensure that students have opportunities at home, not just in school.”