Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Seattle City Council Committee to vote on legislation to provide high-speed Internet access to low-income students
The Great Student Initiative Resolution will help educate and prepare Seattle students
Seattle – Councilmember Bruce Harrell will convene a special Energy, Technology, and Civil Rights Committee meeting tomorrow to discuss the Great Student Initiative Resolution and vote on legislation to provide high-speed Internet access to low-income students in the Seattle Public School District.
When:
Thursday, September 22, 2 p.m.
What:
Discussion and vote on the Great Student Initiative Resolution
Where:
Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall
600 Fourth Avenue, Seattle 98104
Who:
City Council Committee Members
Representatives from:
- Seattle Public School District
- Seattle School Board
- Seattle’s Office for Education
- Office for Civil Rights
- Department of Information Technology
- Comcast
- One Economy
- Microsoft
- Citizens’ Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board
The Great Student Initiative Resolution will bring together public and private organizations to help approximately 16,000 of the 47,000 students in Seattle Public Schools on the free lunch program. Only 46 percent of households in Seattle with incomes averaging under $30,000 receive high-speed Internet access. The public private partnership will map out resources for a sustainable program to achieve Council’s policy directives in making sure students from all socio-economic backgrounds have access to high-speed Internet and vital job skills training.
The Great Student Initiative legislation was highlighted in Microsoft’s announcement at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting on Tuesday. Microsoft launched a new three-year program to ensure that 1 million students from low-income families in the United States receive the benefits of software, hardware and broadband Internet service, putting them on the path leading to graduation, employability and a better future. This commitment extends Microsoft’s global Shape the Future program, which has provided technology and access to over 10 million students around the world. Seattle is one of the first cities actively supporting Shape the Future with its digital inclusion initiative.
Seattle City Council meetings are cablecast and Webcast live on Seattle Channel 21 and on the City Council’s website. Copies of legislation, Council meeting calendar, and archives of news releases can be found on the City Council website. Follow the Council on Twitter and on Facebook.
