CHATTANOOGA, TN: October 11, 2024 – In the home of the world’s fastest community-wide internet, HCS EdConnect powered by EBP is helping more families than ever access broadband. HCS EdConnect is a nationally recognized public-private partnership providing EPB internet service at no charge to qualifying students and their families. Already this school year, 1,200 more Hamilton County families have signed up for HCS EdConnect, a nearly three-fold increase from this time last year.
As students get reacquainted with homework this school year, HCS EdConnect serves nearly 28,000 Hamilton County residents, including more than 16,000 local students. To qualify, a household must have a student who qualifies for SNAP benefits, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), or attend a school where every student receives free or reduced-cost lunch. Eligible families can enroll in HCS EdConnect by contacting their child’s school or signing up through PowerSchool.
HCS EdConnect is a public-private partnership
HCS EdConnect is a unique program that is only available to Hamilton County students thanks to funding and support from Hamilton County, Hamilton County Schools, the City of Chattanooga, EPB, The Enterprise Center, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, and the Smart City Venture Fund, which includes the Benwood Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Footprint Foundation, and the Robert L. and Kathrina H. Maclellan Foundation. The project is also partially funded by the State of Tennessee.
Click above to see how HCS EdConnect works.
HCS EdConnect research shows academic wins for enrolled students
Since it was launched in 2020, HCS EdConnect has already yielded positive academic results, according to the HCS EdConnect Research and Evaluation Study produced by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Boston College and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Research supports what local teachers have seen in our region: access to technology is a positive force for a student’s reading skills, math skills, and creativity and for improving parent and family engagement with schools.
- Households enrolled in the HCS EdConnect program are using digital devices as much or more frequently than other households to support their children’s education through practices like getting information about homework, accessing grades, and communicating with teachers.
- Among economically disadvantaged students, HCS EdConnect-enrolled 8th graders taking ELA and 9th graders taking Algebra 1 showed more growth in standardized test scores since the pandemic when compared to those not enrolled in HCS EdConnect.
- Compared to students with only decent or poor home internet connections, students who reported better home internet connections more frequently used the internet to learn new things and to discover information that changed their opinions.
Partnerships across the Hamilton County made HCS EdConnect possible
“Public-private partnerships like HCS EdConnect are what sets Hamilton County apart in terms of our community-wide investment in and commitment to every single student in a Hamilton County School,” said Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. “This program plays a critical role in ensuring our county’s students enter the workforce equipped to succeed, and I’m grateful to these local partners for stepping in where the federal government stepped away.”
“HCS EdConnect is a great example of a homegrown initiative that embodies our One Chattanooga vision where every Chattanoogan has the opportunity to benefit from our city’s continued growth and success,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “Thank you to Hamilton County Schools, EPB, and The Enterprise Center for working together for the good of young Chattanoogans.”
“Hamilton County Schools believes that access to the internet is an essential part of our students’ ability to learn beyond the classroom and of their families’ ability to stay connected with us,” said Justin Robertson, Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “It is our collective responsibility to remove barriers to learning and long-term success for kids. HCS EdConnect is a great example of local institutions stepping up with the ultimate goal of equipping students with the tools they need.”
“Access to the internet today, particularly for families and K-12 students, is as essential as electrification was a century ago,” said The Enterprise Center President and CEO Monique Kuykendoll Quarterman. “I applaud our partners for making long-term investments in HCS EdConnect so that we can continue to ensure people in Hamilton County are informed, connected, educated, and employed.”
“HCS EdConnect helps bridge the digital divide for families, helping children have access to the same needed learning resources as their peers,” said David Wade, CEO of EPB. “Thanks to the generous local support from across Hamilton County, we’re proud to continue offering HCS EdConnect.”
“HCS EdConnect connects not only students to the internet but connects parents virtually to their children’s schools, and parent involvement is a vital component of student achievement,” said Dr. Damian Bebell, Assistant Research Professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. “With this technology and access in place, parents are more engaged with their child’s school, checking grades and assignments online and communicating virtually with teachers and other school personnel.”
To find out more about HCS EdConnect or enroll in the program today, visit www.edconnect.org/.
