A $30 million initiative spearheaded by Florida born and raised hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin will allow 100,000 less fortunate Miami-Dade homes to get online for free.
The Miami Foundation and Achieve Miami teamed up with Mayors Francis Suarez of Miami and County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava along with Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and internet provider Comcast to get less fortunate households online.
The Miami Connected program will work for the next two years on improving internet connectivity in underserved neighborhoods where there is currently poor service or none at all. Griffin will commit $5 million to the project which will be combined with funds from a variety of organizations including the City of Miami, the Children's Trust, and the Miami Heat.
“One year after we were forced to temporarily shut down the physical schoolhouse, it is evident that this pandemic has negatively impacted under-resourced neighborhoods much more than others in our community,” said Miami Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. He added, “With 52 percent of M-DCPS students engaging in online learning and the remaining 48 percent in the classroom still heavily relying on consistent broadband access to achieve educational success, high-quality home internet has become a necessity for our region’s young learners.”
Griffin agrees, saying internet access is critical to student success.
“It is inspiring to see the Miami community come together to address this important issue, and I look forward to continued progress in bridging the digital divide,” Griffin said.