- Broad-Based Coalition of Community Partners to Assist Outreach Efforts -
[Montclair, New Jersey – September 17, 2015] Montclair Kids First (MKF) announced today a series of local community partners who will come together this fall to support the distribution of free home Internet access to financially disadvantaged Montclair families. In conjunction with today’s announcement, MKF has also released the parent application, which will be due on October 15th.
The application will be backpacked home to every student by the Montclair School District. The Montclair Center Business Improvement District will make available applications to local businesses to showcase throughout Montclair. The Montclair African-American Clergy Association and the Montclair Clergy Association will distribute applications and brief their Pastors, Ministers, Rabbis and spiritual leaders so congregations can be fully informed of the initiative.
In addition, a coalition of Montclair Public Library (MPL), Montclair Art Museum (MAM), Montclair State University (MSU), United Way of Northern New Jersey, The Salvation Army Montclair Citadel, Interfaith Hospitality Network of Essex (IHN), Montclair Film Festival (MFF), Improving Montclair Achievement Network Initiative (IMANI), Succeed 2Gether and other Montclair organizations will come together and offer their respective headquarters to serve as “Application Centers,” providing parents another way to obtain the free Wi-Fi application. The application will also be available online at www.montclairkidsfirst.org.
“Our community partners will play a vital role in making sure that families who need Wi-Fi access, but cannot afford it, are aware of this opportunity,” stated MKF President Shelly Lombard. “Children who don’t have access to technology are at a real disadvantage in our increasingly digital world. MKF’s Wi-Fi initiative is a chance for all of us to come together, put the focus back on children, and drive better educational outcomes for all of them.”
“IHN is very happy to be a distribution location for MKF. Besides being a shelter program for families, IHN provides a free Afterschool Program for our shelter kids, and those whose families we assist with relocation into housing,” stated Emma Justice, Executive Director, Interfaith Hospitality Network of Essex County, Inc. “This is a fabulous opportunity for our network of families. Access to technology is vital to the skills children need to learn for jobs now and in the future. Thanks to the Montclair Library, IHN added STEM learning for our students and access to technology makes STEM homework possible! Thank you MKF and Jersey On!”
“We would like to thank all of our community partners who have agreed to help MKF get the word out about our Wi-Fi initiative,” stated Executive Director of MKF Matthew Frankel. “In every conversation, in every local meeting, the response from our community partners has been extremely positive. The work we are doing as a community shows that we can, indeed, all come together to support disadvantaged students. Starting today, it is our collective mission to make sure that as many parents as possible are aware of this opportunity and receive the application.”
“JerseyOn is dedicated to working in communities across New Jersey, including Montclair, to help countless students living on the wrong side of the digital divide,” stated JerseyOn Chairman Josh Gottheimer. “The Montclair community has gone above and beyond to bring broadband connectivity to hard-pressed families, so that students can access all of the benefits the Internet has to offer, from research to student collaboration to applying for college."
Last Spring, MKF announced the Wi-Fi collaboration with JerseyOn, a statewide non-profit focused on connecting low-income students and their families to the Internet. This effort will fund the purchase of Sprint NETGEAR Fuse Mobile Hotspot devices and four years of continuous service for every family in Montclair participating in the free and reduced lunch program.
As the introduction and implementation of the program takes hold, MKF hopes to develop and grow the initiative to sponsor computers and other learning tools and devices to all economically disadvantaged students in Montclair.
Each free device will provide 3GBs of free monthly data service for four continuous years on Sprint’s 4GLTE network. There will be no cost or obligation to the user and will be available only to parents who choose to participate. Specifically, the device will be restricted to educational use. As part of the negotiations, Sprint and JerseyOn will ensure each Internet access device will block anything deemed inappropriate for children.
DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION
The Montclair Public Library will host a series of seminars for those families who apply for the hot spot devices. These MKF events will be custom-designed and led by representatives of Montclair State University’s computer science and information technology staff.
Updated Timeline for the MKF WiFi Initiative:
• September 10th – October 15th: Free WiFi applications will be available District-wide.
• October 15th: Due date for applications.
• October 15th – December 15th: Purchasing and processing of devices by MKF.
• January 2016: Communication to enrolled parents regarding dates for device distribution seminar events.
• First Quarter of 2016: Series of device distribution seminar events take place at the Montclair Public Library, with technical support provided by Montclair State University’s Computer Science and Information Technology Team.
APPLICATION CENTERS FOR FREE WIFI
Montclair Public Library (MPL)
50 South Fullerton Avenue
Montclair Art Museum (MAM)
3 South Mountain Avenue
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Essex (IHN)
46 Park Street
The Salvation Army Montclair Citadel
13 Trinity Place
Improving Montclair Achievement Network Initiative (IMANI)
73 South Fullerton Avenue
United Way of Northern New Jersey
60 South Fullerton Avenue
Montclair Film Festival (MFF)
8 Hillside Avenue
Succeed 2gether
11 Pine Street
ABOUT MONTCLAIR KIDS FIRST (MKF)
Montclair Kids First (MKF) is a coalition of Montclair parents and residents who believe deeply in the promise of Public Education and in Montclair’s Public School system. The group reflects Montclair’s diverse backgrounds, ideas, and values. Putting our kids first means that every Montclair child has access to a first-rate education, every Montclair parent is empowered with a strong voice, and that we, as members of the Montclair community, are responsible for providing solutions and supporting initiatives that strengthen our public schools. To learn more please go to www.montclairkidsfirst.org.
ABOUT JERSEYON
JerseyOn is a new state-wide non-profit focused on connecting low-income students and their families, in an effort to bring affordable, high-speed broadband to all residents. JerseyOn works to eliminate the digital, economic, and academic divides by delivering low-cost home Internet, affordable computers, and digital literacy training for the thousands of unconnected people in our state. More information can be found at www.jerseyon.org.
[Montclair, New Jersey – September 17, 2015] Montclair Kids First (MKF) announced today a series of local community partners who will come together this fall to support the distribution of free home Internet access to financially disadvantaged Montclair families. In conjunction with today’s announcement, MKF has also released the parent application, which will be due on October 15th.
The application will be backpacked home to every student by the Montclair School District. The Montclair Center Business Improvement District will make available applications to local businesses to showcase throughout Montclair. The Montclair African-American Clergy Association and the Montclair Clergy Association will distribute applications and brief their Pastors, Ministers, Rabbis and spiritual leaders so congregations can be fully informed of the initiative.
In addition, a coalition of Montclair Public Library (MPL), Montclair Art Museum (MAM), Montclair State University (MSU), United Way of Northern New Jersey, The Salvation Army Montclair Citadel, Interfaith Hospitality Network of Essex (IHN), Montclair Film Festival (MFF), Improving Montclair Achievement Network Initiative (IMANI), Succeed 2Gether and other Montclair organizations will come together and offer their respective headquarters to serve as “Application Centers,” providing parents another way to obtain the free Wi-Fi application. The application will also be available online at www.montclairkidsfirst.org.
“Our community partners will play a vital role in making sure that families who need Wi-Fi access, but cannot afford it, are aware of this opportunity,” stated MKF President Shelly Lombard. “Children who don’t have access to technology are at a real disadvantage in our increasingly digital world. MKF’s Wi-Fi initiative is a chance for all of us to come together, put the focus back on children, and drive better educational outcomes for all of them.”
“IHN is very happy to be a distribution location for MKF. Besides being a shelter program for families, IHN provides a free Afterschool Program for our shelter kids, and those whose families we assist with relocation into housing,” stated Emma Justice, Executive Director, Interfaith Hospitality Network of Essex County, Inc. “This is a fabulous opportunity for our network of families. Access to technology is vital to the skills children need to learn for jobs now and in the future. Thanks to the Montclair Library, IHN added STEM learning for our students and access to technology makes STEM homework possible! Thank you MKF and Jersey On!”
“We would like to thank all of our community partners who have agreed to help MKF get the word out about our Wi-Fi initiative,” stated Executive Director of MKF Matthew Frankel. “In every conversation, in every local meeting, the response from our community partners has been extremely positive. The work we are doing as a community shows that we can, indeed, all come together to support disadvantaged students. Starting today, it is our collective mission to make sure that as many parents as possible are aware of this opportunity and receive the application.”
“JerseyOn is dedicated to working in communities across New Jersey, including Montclair, to help countless students living on the wrong side of the digital divide,” stated JerseyOn Chairman Josh Gottheimer. “The Montclair community has gone above and beyond to bring broadband connectivity to hard-pressed families, so that students can access all of the benefits the Internet has to offer, from research to student collaboration to applying for college."
Last Spring, MKF announced the Wi-Fi collaboration with JerseyOn, a statewide non-profit focused on connecting low-income students and their families to the Internet. This effort will fund the purchase of Sprint NETGEAR Fuse Mobile Hotspot devices and four years of continuous service for every family in Montclair participating in the free and reduced lunch program.
As the introduction and implementation of the program takes hold, MKF hopes to develop and grow the initiative to sponsor computers and other learning tools and devices to all economically disadvantaged students in Montclair.
Each free device will provide 3GBs of free monthly data service for four continuous years on Sprint’s 4GLTE network. There will be no cost or obligation to the user and will be available only to parents who choose to participate. Specifically, the device will be restricted to educational use. As part of the negotiations, Sprint and JerseyOn will ensure each Internet access device will block anything deemed inappropriate for children.
DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION
The Montclair Public Library will host a series of seminars for those families who apply for the hot spot devices. These MKF events will be custom-designed and led by representatives of Montclair State University’s computer science and information technology staff.
Updated Timeline for the MKF WiFi Initiative:
• September 10th – October 15th: Free WiFi applications will be available District-wide.
• October 15th: Due date for applications.
• October 15th – December 15th: Purchasing and processing of devices by MKF.
• January 2016: Communication to enrolled parents regarding dates for device distribution seminar events.
• First Quarter of 2016: Series of device distribution seminar events take place at the Montclair Public Library, with technical support provided by Montclair State University’s Computer Science and Information Technology Team.
APPLICATION CENTERS FOR FREE WIFI
Montclair Public Library (MPL)
50 South Fullerton Avenue
Montclair Art Museum (MAM)
3 South Mountain Avenue
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Essex (IHN)
46 Park Street
The Salvation Army Montclair Citadel
13 Trinity Place
Improving Montclair Achievement Network Initiative (IMANI)
73 South Fullerton Avenue
United Way of Northern New Jersey
60 South Fullerton Avenue
Montclair Film Festival (MFF)
8 Hillside Avenue
Succeed 2gether
11 Pine Street
ABOUT MONTCLAIR KIDS FIRST (MKF)
Montclair Kids First (MKF) is a coalition of Montclair parents and residents who believe deeply in the promise of Public Education and in Montclair’s Public School system. The group reflects Montclair’s diverse backgrounds, ideas, and values. Putting our kids first means that every Montclair child has access to a first-rate education, every Montclair parent is empowered with a strong voice, and that we, as members of the Montclair community, are responsible for providing solutions and supporting initiatives that strengthen our public schools. To learn more please go to www.montclairkidsfirst.org.
ABOUT JERSEYON
JerseyOn is a new state-wide non-profit focused on connecting low-income students and their families, in an effort to bring affordable, high-speed broadband to all residents. JerseyOn works to eliminate the digital, economic, and academic divides by delivering low-cost home Internet, affordable computers, and digital literacy training for the thousands of unconnected people in our state. More information can be found at www.jerseyon.org.
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