AT&T Foundation donates over $ 40,000 to support Camden youth affected by the digital divide

CAMDEN, NJ, July 20, 2021 – As part of AT&T’s recently announced national pledge to help bridge the digital divide and the homework divide, the AT&T Foundation is donating more than $ 40,000 to two organizations that prepare young people from Camden to college and careers and helping them overcome the academic challenges they have faced over the past year.

A contribution of $ 25,750 to Hopeworks will support the Cohen Technology Center, which provides broadband connectivity, community and amenities to underserved youth to promote well-paying remote jobs. Learn more about this program here.

The Rowan University Foundation received a contribution of $ 15,000 to support the Launch Pad at Camden program, which provides low-income students with Internet access and digital literacy training to promote college enrollment. Learn more about this program here.

The contributions were announced at a special event at the Hopeworks’ Cohen Technology Center in Camden. Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen and Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. joined Joseph Divis, Acting President, AT&T-New Jersey, and representatives from Hopeworks and Rowan for the announcement.

“The generosity and foresight that have been invested in these donations are a noble gesture to help the children of our city bridge the digital divide and fight against many of the inequalities that have been exasperated by the pandemic”, said said Mayor Carstarphen. “I would like to thank the AT&T Foundation for its support of these two institutions anchored in our community and for their commitment to these two programs at Hopeworks and Rowan University.”

“Ensuring children and young adults have digital tools, access and opportunities is essential for Camden to take it to the next level. The two programs funded today by the AT&T Foundation provide these essential initiatives that will have long-term impacts for many years to come for children in the city, ”said Cappelli. “These are the types of collaborations that allow us to improve and improve outcomes for residents.”

“The pandemic has increased the challenges facing millions of students across the country, including here in New Jersey,” Divis said. “Underprivileged neighborhoods have been particularly affected. The AT&T Foundation is proud to continue working with Rowan and Hopeworks to help equip Camden students with the tools and experiences they will need to be successful.

“Hopeworks is proud to partner with AT&T to truly build a sustainable future for the youth of Camden and the region,” said Dan Rhoton, Executive Director of Hopeworks Camden, “in truly bridging the digital divide for our youth and their communities. families and communities. “

“Rowan University is proud to partner again with the AT&T Foundation to bridge the digital divide for students in the City of Camden,” said Dr. Dawn Singleton, Senior Director of Student Success and Inclusion Programs. students at Rowan University. “This collaboration is especially important for the first generation college students served by the Launch Pad. This will enhance the education access programs and resources we provide to students and families in the City of Camden.

AT&T is committed to investing more than $ 2 billion over the next 3 years to bridge the digital divide through affordable broadband offerings for consumers and educational institutions, as well as high-quality educational resources and services. community investments through AT&T Connected Learning, a program to connect students to skills, resources and opportunities for success in school and in life.

About Philanthropy and Social Innovation at AT&T
We are committed to advancing education, creating opportunity, strengthening communities and improving lives. AT&T Connected Learning is a multi-year commitment to bridge the digital divide and close the homework gap, so that today’s learners are connected to skills, resources and opportunities for success in school and in the world. life. Since 2008, we’ve committed $ 600 million to programs that help millions of students in all 50 states and around the world, especially those in underserved communities.

Source: AT&T

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Jeff Bezos’ first manned commercial spaceflight from Blue Origin is ready to take off on Tuesday morning, complete with the space company’s reusable New Shepard launcher.

Specifically, Blue Origin hopes to ascend to heaven on Tuesday, July 20 from the first desert launch site in West Texas. A live broadcast until take off begins at 6.30am CDT / 4.30am PT. The actual ignition is scheduled 90 minutes later, at 8 a.m. CDT / 5 a.m. HP. Sunday, the weather was not a constraint for the launch and New Shepard is expected to launch on schedule.

Discovery and the Washington Post have reported live coverage of Bezos’ first space flight. The program will air live on Discovery and Science at 8:00 a.m. ET and on washingtonpost.com.

The live show, Space launch LIVE: Blue Origin and Jeff Bezos go to space, will be hosted by Libby Casey of The Washington Post and Chris Jacobs of Discovery from The Post’s Washington, DC Studios. He will present a field analysis by Washington Post space industry reporter Christian Davenport; commentary by astronaut Leland Melvin; the contribution of Dr Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research at the Smithsonian and a team of experts from the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

“We are delighted to join forces with The Washington Post to once again cover the next major chapter in space advancement,” said Scott Lewers, executive vice president of cross-platform, factual programming and responsible for content , Science. “With no onsite public viewing areas near the launch site, this show continues the Discovery and Science Channel’s mission of bringing the world to our viewers.”

“The Washington Post has made a separate investment in live coverage of major news events, drawing tens of millions of viewers to its programs featuring the latest developments as well as real-time analysis and commentary from our top journalists.” , said Micah Gelman, editorial video director at the Washington Post. “Following the success of our joint coverage of SpaceX’s first crewed mission last summer, we are delighted to partner again with Discovery and Science Channels to bring this historic launch to the eyes of Americans across the country as the appetite for space tourism is intensifying. ”

Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET / PT, Discovery will air a one-hour special, Jeff Bezos in space: Blue Origin takes off, highlighting the morning’s event, as well as post-launch interviews, behind-the-scenes material, and information on Blue Origins and Jeff Bezos. The special will also air the following evening, Wednesday, July 21, prime time at 8 p.m. ET / PT on Science Channel.

New Shepard has flown 15 consecutive successful missions in space and over the Kármán Line through a meticulous and progressive flight program to test its multiple redundant security systems. Now it’s time for the astronauts to get on board.

There will be four astronauts in total six seats. On board are Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, pilot Wally Funk and the winner of an auction of 7,500 people for the last slot of the flight. But the winner, who asked to remain anonymous, chose to fly on a future New Shepard mission due to scheduling conflicts. The amount of the winning bid will be donated to Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and help invent the future of life. in the space.

The winner will be 18-year-old Oliver Daemen. He will be the first paying customer to travel aboard New Shepard, marking the start of commercial operations for the program.

Flying aboard New Shepard will fulfill a long-held dream for Oliver, who has been fascinated by space, the Moon and rockets since the age of four. Oliver graduated from high school in 2020 and took a year off before continuing his education to earn his private pilot license.

At 18 and 82, Oliver Daemen and Wally Funk represent the youngest and oldest astronauts to ever travel to space.

Wally’s journey into space began in the 1960s when she was the youngest graduate of the Woman in Space program, a privately-funded project that tested female pilots for the fitness of astronauts. Later known as “Mercury 13”, thirteen American women successfully underwent the same physiological and psychological screening tests as the astronauts selected by NASA for Project Mercury, but they never flew into space. . Wally was the youngest graduate from this program.

She was the first female FAA inspector and the first female NTSB aviation safety investigator. The 82-year-old pilot will now be part of New Shepard’s first crew, and the oldest person to ever fly in space.

The astronauts spent 14 hours over a two-day period training for the flight.

The plan is to deploy at midnight, load the thruster 3 hours before launch, load the astronauts 45 minutes before launch, and close the hatch 24 minutes before takeoff.

After take-off, the separation of the capsules should take place at 2:45 a.m. They will experience 3 to 4 minutes of weightlessness in and out of the seats, then use three parachutes to descend back to Earth.

Blue Origin has two more paid flights scheduled for 2021, one at the end of September and one for October 1.

SEATTLE – (COMMERCIAL THREAD) – As students prepare to return to class after more than a year of challenges, PEMCO Mutual Insurance is once again holding its annual ‘Supply Surge’ school supplies drive, July 19 through August 6, to support some of those most in need – homeless and underserved students in the Pacific Northwest. The goal of the campaign is to help fill the gap in opportunity for these students by making sure they start the school year with the necessary supplies.

Since 2018, Supply Surge has rallied donors and organizations to collect more than 455,000 individual classroom supplies for students. This year, Supply Surge will bring together 37 South Lake Union companies, along with donors from across the state, to provide students with essential school supplies – from paper and pencils to backpacks and calculators – as schools return to in-person learning this fall.

“As the world adjusts to its new normal, many families continue to face challenges. With this year’s supply push, PEMCO and our generous community partners will work to help students in Washington and Oregon feel confident and prepared for the upcoming school year, ”said Stan McNaughton, CEO of PEMCO. “Supporting teachers, students and families has been important to PEMCO since our founding, and the past year and a half has reinforced the importance of supporting our neighbors. ”

The Supply Surge team currently includes 37 community-driven organizations such as Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Vulcan, Inc., Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Sellen Construction, MoPOP, Pacific Science Center, Bristol Myers Squibb and Starbucks, as well as many more. South Lake Union Businesses.

As part of PEMCO’s commitment to support the education and development of young learners through its Mutual good program, the PEMCO Foundation will match donations dollar for dollar for every donation made between August 4 and 6, up to a total of $ 5,000.

Donations from Supply Surge will benefit 13 middle and high schools in Seattle, Lynnwood, Spokane and Portland that have high numbers of homeless students. The schools were identified in partnership with the district’s student support programs and data from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Education’s Diversity Report, which provides information on the number of students per school who are experiencing the homelessness, whose families are struggling financially and how many students are a part of the Black, Indigenous and Colored (BIPOC) community.

“Our community needs and often does not have the necessary school supplies for our children,” said Melanee McClary, intervention specialist at Shaw Middle School in Spokane. “Sometimes our families have to choose between school supplies and food or pay an electricity bill. PEMCO’s support is therefore a huge relief for our families. ”

To see all the participating businesses, learn more or to donate school supplies, visit www.pemco.com/supply-surge.

About PEMCO Mutual insurance

PEMCO Mutual Insurance is the defender of your Northwest, offering auto, home, renters and boat coverage. We are constantly recognized for our exceptional service, the expertise of our employees and our social impact. Our Mutual Good programs raise the levels of achievement of young people in education; building stronger and greener environments; and increase safety at home, on the road and at play. Our Mission: Free our communities to worry less and live more. To learn more, visit www.pemco.com.