New Initiative for NYC Students

There’s some exciting news coming out of the Big Apple.

New York City Public Schools are set to receive new laptops, thanks to a partnership with T-Mobile. Mayor Eric Adams announced this initiative on Monday, alongside Yankees player Jazz Chisholm Jr.

The city is rolling out an impressive 350,000 Chromebooks for its K-12 students. These devices will come with complimentary LTE and 5G connectivity from T-Mobile to help “close the digital divide.”

“This means 350,000 students across 1,700 schools will benefit from a free Chromebook equipped with 5G Internet access and an improved educational platform. We’re looking at 350,000 future writers, teachers, and mathematicians,” the mayor said.

Joining him were Prime Minister Melissa Aviles Ramos and Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser.

The distribution will prioritize schools that need the devices most, followed by students from temporary housing and low-income neighborhoods.

“We aim to complete the distribution of these devices throughout the school year, ensuring that by the end of the year, all students will receive theirs,” Aviles-Ramos noted.

This effort stems from a significant agreement made in February between the Adams administration and T-Mobile. The deal designates T-Mobile as the primary wireless carrier for the city, in exchange for discounted services for city employees.

According to the mayor’s office, the savings from the city’s mobile phone plan are being allocated to fund these new Chromebooks.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., an All-Star player for the Yankees, was there to show his support for the initiative.

“I’ve spent the last two years in New York, and this is the seventh school I’ve visited. It’s also the seventh time we’ve been involved in something like this,” Chisholm, originally from the Bahamas, shared.

“Giving back means a lot to me. It reminds me of my own roots and the community I grew up in.”