Matzie: $140,000 awarded to help Ambridge Area School District bridge digital divide

Will fund student internet, technology devices

AMBRIDGE, Oct. 1 – More than $140,000 in grant funding will help close connectivity gaps for students in the Ambridge Area School District by ensuring all students have access to internet and technology resources, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, announced today.

Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, said the funding from the Emergency Connectivity Fund will help schools and libraries ensure students have equal access to tech tools that are so important for off-campus learning.

“Digital access is key to helping reinforce what kids learn in the classroom, but for some, access to those tools is not a given,” Matzie said. “Securing this funding will help us close the digital divide and ensure all kids have the access they need to achieve, regardless of household income.”

Matzie said the program will help schools and libraries cover costs associated with digital devices such as laptops, tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students, educators and library patrons who currently lack sufficient access to broadband and connected devices.

The funding is part of a package of $20 million in funding to school districts statewide under the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a temporary fund created through the American Rescue Plan and administered by the Federal Communications Commission.

More about the awards is available here.

The grant is part of the first wave of ECF funding. A second application window is now open, and eligible schools and libraries can apply at www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org