Now, more than ever, students and teachers need our help.
Modern technology can often be taken for granted by those who use it every day. In reality, we know that there is a digital divide between students who have access to technology and those who do not. This divide has become more extreme in the face of COVID-19. The shift to remote learning has caused students without access to the proper resources to fall further and further behind.
The divide between students is continuing to grow:
- 33% of children (~500M) worldwide lack access to the tools needed for remote learning
- 38% of low-income families, and 29% of families of color, in the U.S. are concerned about access to distance learning because they do not have reliable internet at home
- 50% of low-income, and 42% of families of color, in the U.S. lack the correct devices at home to access distance learning
At Intuit, maker of TurboTax and QuickBooks, we believe all students should have the opportunity to prosper. Our education programs support students and educators in need with the goal of ensuring a brighter future for all. This includes our Prosperity Hub School District Program which provides student resources, access to Intuit’s unique content, teacher professional development, as well as partner programs to economically challenged and diverse school districts that are most in need.
We want to do our part to help the many disadvantaged students around the world. That’s why we’re introducing the Intuit Digital Equity Initiative.
We’re pledging $1,000,000 USD as a starting investment to help over 1,500,000 underserved students across 20 cities and 9 countries where Intuit has offices around the world to help close the growing educational gap due to the digital divide.
We will be amplifying the impact with company-wide activities through our We Care and Give Back program, like donation matching and employee volunteering. We’re matching employee donations made to the initiative, for up to an additional $1,000,000 USD to help students in need. Many schools are also looking for volunteers to keep their programs running. We’re partnering with schools located near each of our corporate offices around the world to identify opportunities where our employees can volunteer their time and skills.
Students are the next generation and tackling the digital divide to help achieve educational equity will take work from all of us. Do you know a school district in need? We invite you to join us. Reach out to your local school and ask how you can help. Together, we can help students and teachers around the world when they need it most.