Back to (Virtual) School: Starry Donates Chromebooks to HACLA Families Before the Start of the New School Year

Back to school looks different this year in Los Angeles as most schools are returning to online learning amidst the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis

But, students without access to reliable home internet and devices will no doubt be left behind. In fact, researchers at the University of Southern California estimate that roughly one-in-four households with school-aged kids, or nearly 250,000 families, in Los Angeles County lacks access to both broadband internet and either a laptop or desktop computer

In June, Starry launched a partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles to make ultra-low cost, true broadband access available to the more than 600 households in the Mar Vista Gardens community. While this is a step forward in breaking the barriers to broadband adoption in the community, it's only one piece of the puzzle for families and students.

That’s why Starry donated 21 Chromebooks to Mar Vista Gardens families with school-aged children. The computers were provided, in advance of the start of the school year this week, to families identified by HACLA as not having access to devices needed for online learning in the home.

It's our hope that this small gesture will help bridge the digital divide for these students in the Mar Vista Gardens community so they can get online and back to school.