That may seem hard to believe, given how the World Wide Web has exploded in reach from a side project at a nuclear research organization to the lifeblood of global society.
Even though smartphones are everywhere, around 15.6 million households only have a cellular data plan, but no traditional home internet, Census data shows. Some 20% of American households don’t have a desktop or laptop computer.
Using philanthropy, AT&T is working to address this digital divide. The company has committed $5 billion by 2030 to address the gap, leaning on initiatives like Connected Learning Centers (CLCs) and online resources promoting digital literacy.
Mylayna Albright, assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility, said in an interview that AT&T wants “to make sure that we’re able to get people connected in a way that benefits their lives and allows them to participate in society in a meaningful way.”
Albright explained there are multiple barriers to digital access, such as subscription or device costs, availability in areas without adequate infrastructure, or people who don’t know how to properly use digital devices.
But in a world where everything from banking to education to shopping and work gets performed online, lacking digital proficiency can have serious consequences.
And children entering an increasingly tech-dominated world can find themselves at a particular disadvantage. At the Eastside branch of Fort Worth’s Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, kids use the CLC to help with homework and education-related activities.
“What AT&T has done is they’ve actually made sure that we are connected, which meant actually laying cable to this building so that we could be connected to high-speed internet,” said Debbie Barlow Stagliano, the local chapter’s president and CEO.
“They’ve actually paid for and made sure that we had that connectivity, not just this year, but for many years. They made sure that we had the right equipment, so hardware as well. And then all that programming,” she said.
Getting North Texas Kids Online
The connected learning centers are essentially computer labs. There are five in Dallas proper, one in McKinney and one at the Eastside Boys and Girls Club.
Housed inside community centers and impact organizations, the learning centers can take the form of desktops or laptops, depending on the needs of the community.
As of July 2024, there were 50 Connected Learning Centers nationwide, and AT&T has committed to opening at least 100 by the end of 2027.
The learning centers each come with a $50,000 contribution from AT&T, which ensures the centers are connected to the internet. The company works with corporate partners like Dell to provide hardware.
Computers at the labs are also secured and information is erased when the user is done with the computer, according to Albright.
Then, there are the online resources.
At the Eastside Boys and Girls Club, kids of all ages used The Achievery, AT&T’s online learning platform, for additional instruction and career readiness.
The Achievery also has modules to help students understand how to navigate the digital world.
According to Sha’Kia Jackson, the branch director, many kids have come to the Boys and Girls Club with low reading scores. However, by tapping into the additional instruction the Club has been able to provide, scores have increased, she said.
During a tour of the Eastside CLC, students ages 8 to 18 spoke about how they used the center to help them with subjects they didn’t understand, like science and math, while also exploring career options.
The centers also provide resources for adults.
At Jewish Family Service in Far North Dallas, adult students have used that learning center for everything from English as a second language classes to seminars on banking and and being a first-time home buyer, said Jill Tokumoto, the organization’s senior director for career and financial services.
“Initially, when we started, it was just a blank slate. AT&T said, ‘We just want to close the digital divide. Do whatever it takes.’ And so we really just had carte blanche,” Tokumoto said.
Jewish Family Service opened its CLC in 2023. Two years later, their adult programming has helped a myriad of students.
Francesco Galazzo is one of the spring semester’s ESL students. He moved to the U.S. from Italy after marrying his husband. He realized he needed to improve his English to feel comfortable in his new home.
His learning center classmate Jennifer Yoh is originally from Singapore and has been studying English since she was young. But after moving to the U.S. from South Korea for her husband’s job, she wanted to improve her grammar and pronunciation.
“I think it gives them confidence, and that’s the most important thing, because at the beginning, so many of them were afraid to speak, afraid to make mistakes, and so you’re very limited in the progress you can make if you’re afraid to put yourself out there,” volunteer ESL instructor Shari Tobin said.
The milestones the Jewish Family Service students hit aren’t necessarily traditional, but they’re a big deal for the student.
Tobin told how one of her students gained enough confidence in her English to go to her first dinner party at a neighbor’s house.
Another student, Tokumoto said, wanted to get a job at her daughter’s school, and by the end of the semester, after building her English skills, she was hired in the cafeteria.
AT&T says they’ve reached more than 33,000 people since launching CLCs in 2021. As a result, demand for more centers is growing, even in places where AT&T doesn’t have a fiber footprint like New England. There are now 11 learning centers in New York and Massachusetts.
“We want to see people connected, wherever they are,” Albright said. “But it’s pretty cool to see that folks who didn’t necessarily have access to a Connected Learning Center decided how to make it happen.”
© 2025 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
