Comcast Foundation Grants Over $100,000 To California State PTA In Support Of Digital Literacy Curriculum For Parents

Two year grant helps expand School Smarts program that educates and empowers parents, creating meaningful and diverse parent involvement

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May 01, 2015, 11:18 ET

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Comcast Foundation today announced a grant of more than $100,000 for the California State PTA. The two year grant will be used to develop digital literacy curriculum and sessions for the organization's School Smarts Parent Engagement Program.

The program currently offers a seven session parent academy that educates parents on topics that include: understanding the education system, communicating effectively, advocating for a quality education, and the importance of parent involvement. The key principle of the program is inclusion and the curriculum is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Tagalog and Vietnamese. The new curriculum supported by this grant will be launched at pilot sites during the 2015-16 school year, with plans to scale it to all School Smarts program sites the following year.

"Comcast has been a great friend and supporter of our organization since 2011 as part of their commitment to California," said Colleen A. R. You, President of California State PTA. "This grant allows us to give more families across the state even greater access to the resources they need in order to succeed in today's increasingly digital world."

"We are proud to support such an important initiative. Closing the digital divide is a top priority for Comcast and we are excited to partner with the California State PTA to bring this new curriculum to parents," said Hank Fore, Senior Vice President of Comcast's California Region.

Including this most recent grant, Comcast NBCUniversal has donated more than $38,900,000 in California to organizations and programs dedicated to closing the digital divide, youth development and volunteerism. Last year, Comcast supported the Greater Sacramento Urban League with a grant that empowers youth through the Digital Connectors program with digital multimedia skills to support them in their education and career. Additionally, last November, Comcast partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of America to launch a new technology program, called My.Future. The program teaches Club kids about the digital world and ignites passion around the endless possibilities that technology offers.

To address the digital divide, in 2011 Comcast launched its Internet Essentials program to help bridge the gap. Comcast, via Internet Essentials, is the only company with a comprehensive, nation-wide program to address the digital divide by offering low-cost, high-speed internet service to the home, access to affordable computers and training to low-income students and families.

About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—promoting service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow's leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated nearly $158 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.

About the California State PTA
As nearly 1 million Californians supporting 9 million California children as part of a century-long, nationwide, grassroots movement, California State PTA is a professional, non-profit volunteer organization committed to the well-being of all children and families.

SOURCE Comcast