These programs are designed to teach kids technology skills like coding, typing or cybersecurity.
The Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne received $10,000 and After School for Kids (ASK) received $5,000. Each program also received 50 computers to give away to the community. The donations came from AT&T as part of a $2 billion national investment intended to bridge the digital divide.
"Not everyone has access to opportunities that connectivity brings, and that's what we call the digital divide," said Guillermo Lambarri, AT&T state director of external affairs for Wyoming. "(It's) the gap between those who can fully participate in the modern world, and those that cannot."
He said that nearly 12,000 students in Wyoming K-12 programs don't have access to digital basics at home, which can hinder development for Internet and computer skills.
"A lot of people assume that our kids have everything that they need when they go to school, and that's not true," said Justin Pendleton, chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne. "A lot of our kids, when they leave the school building, they don't have access to the technology that is needed to do their homework to continue to grow as young adults."
Pendleton said most of the funding will support digital literacy programs in more rural communities like the new Boys & Girls Club locations in Burns and Pine Bluffs. He said he is excited about the donation and the possibilities it brings to children in the area.
The 100 computers gifted by AT&T are largely Dell laptops or Chromebooks, Lambarri said. The Boys & Girls Club gave theirs away in a raffle in August. And the prize winners don't have to loan the computers from the program or school. They become theirs for them or their family to use, along with one year of hardware tech support.
Lombarri said that kids can use it for homework, and parents could also use it for applying for a job.
Though the funds have already been spent and computers already given away, the presentation of the donation was hosted Monday at the Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne and was attended by Mayor Patrick Collins, who spoke of the importance of digital literacy in today's workforce.
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