Three New Jersey public school districts – Jersey City Public Schools, New Brunswick Public Schools and Trenton Public Schools – have joined Verizon Innovative Learning, Verizon’s education initiative addressing barriers to digital inclusion. The program, which is a part of Verizon’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement called Citizen Verizon, equips every student and teacher at nine middle schools in these districts with a device and up to a four-year data plan, and provides extensive teacher professional development to support powerful learning that leverages technology in and out of the classroom.
To officially announce the districts’ participation, Verizon and Digital Promise hosted a virtual event on Tuesday, May 4, at 10 a.m. The event featured remarks from elected officials, school district leaders and Verizon and Digital Promise representatives, as well as a panel discussion highlighting how the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program leverages technology to transform the learning experience and ensure New Jersey students are prepared with the digital skills needed to put them on a path to success.
“It’s exciting to have two Jersey City public schools selected to join the Verizon Innovative Learning program, furthering efforts to expand opportunities for our youth, especially in STEM programming and interactive technology,” said Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop. “The program will transform students’ learning experiences, enhance teacher professional development, and enable a seamless learning environment for student academic enrichment and success.”
“The Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program pushes the teaching and learning environments far beyond the classroom walls,” said New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill. “Connectivity and access to the limitless world of information are key to future successes for teachers and students alike. Digital devices play a critical role in the teaching process. Equipping both students and teachers with these state-of-the-art tools makes that process efficient, effective and exciting. The Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program makes this possible.”
“We don’t want the unprecedented educational challenges posed by COVID-19 to drive our urban students further behind their peers in other areas,” said Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora. “Thanks to the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program, four Trenton schools will be empowered with technology and STEM-focused curriculum that will help those students overcome those education hurdles and develop a passion to pursue high-demand fields well into the future.”
- The nine schools participating in Verizon Innovative Learning are:
Jersey City Public Schools: Joseph H. Brensinger School and Mahatma K. Gandhi School - New Brunswick Public Schools: Lincoln Annex, McKinley Community School, and New Brunswick Middle School
- Trenton Public Schools: Dunn Middle School, Hedgepeth Williams Middle School of the Arts, Joyce Kilmer School, and Luis Munoz-Rivera Middle School
