Coronavirus Distance Learning: Several Sacramento Buses To Become Hotspots For Students
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A new statewide effort aims to bridge the digital divide for students.
California's First Partner says it's crucial as parents like her deal with the challenges of remote learning.
"Distance learning has been a real challenge, to say the least. It can feel overwhelming every day to keep them on task and motivated to tackle them their most daunting challenges while balancing the daily demands of my own work — taking conference calls and zoom meetings in between lesson plans and meltdowns," the First Partner of California, Jennifer Siebel-Newsom, said.
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As part of the effort to bridge the technology gap in Sacramento, seven Regional Transit buses will be outfitted with "super hotspots" that can provide internet to students in a 500-foot radius. The buses will park for four to eight hours in different parts of Sacramento to provide connectivity while people stay inside.
The program will launch on May 1 and will last for 60 days.
According to the governor's office, approximately one in five students in California lack high-speed Internet or an appropriate computing device at home. And in a survey two weeks ago, the governor's office said 50% of low-income families and 42% of families of color reported lacking the technology needed for distance learning.
Statewide, corporations and philanthropists partnered with the state to send approximately 70,000 laptops, Chromebooks and tablets to students for distance learning. The California Public Utilities Commission, and State Department of Education, will distribute $30 million to support access to the internet for students.