Check this out! Parents will be able to borrow free Wi-Fi hotspots for a year at a time from 46 branches of the Queens Library and Brooklyn and New York Public Library, Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina announced yesterday.
The branches are located near Community Schools, which serve as neighborhood hubs for social services, and are often in high need communities.
In order to borrow one of the 5,000 hotspots, an adult must have at least one child in the public schools system, no internet at home, a fine-free library card and attend a “lending event” at one of the participating branches.
Lending events begin Saturday. Parents interested in the program can stop by their local library to be directed to a participating branch if their own is not offering hot spots.
The program paid for under a new partnership between the libraries, the Department of Education, Sprint and Google
One-third of Brooklyn homes lack internet services at home, Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson observed in a statement.
“Children who cannot use the internet to work on school projects are at risk of falling behind in the classroom, while adults from unconnected households often face challenges in finding satisfying, well-paid employment,” she said.
