BY DAVID MAMARIL HOROWITZ

david.horowitz@bgdailynews.com

 

Forty-five region students on Friday received a refurbished laptop in Bowling Green through a partnership between the e-waste reduction nonprofit Human-I-T and AT&T.

AT&T funded the laptops, and Human-I-T refurbished them before they were presented at Embassy Suites by Hilton Bowling Green to 45 students across the state who’ve participated in the Boys & Girls Clubs competition “Youth of the Year.” The giving was part of an awards ceremony and luncheon for the competition’s participants.

“I think when you look at the opportunity to provide digital inclusion for our young people, it’s an opportunity for them to access technology that’ll allow them to increase their academic success, social network and workforce readiness,” said Rubin Nieto, vice president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana.

Added Liz Bernard Clark, CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of the Bowling Green Area, “To say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna give all of you a laptop so that you are set up for success,’ it’s just so special, and we’re so grateful to AT&T for that.”

The day’s distribution is part of AT&T’s initiative to address the digital divide, a $5 billion commitment to help connect 25 million people to high-speed internet by 2030. Its targets are low-cost broadband, equipment for internet access, and digital literacy, according to AT&T Kentucky President Carlos E. Sanchez – and the telecommunications giant states that it has provided more than 600 computers for students and families statewide since 2021.

An estimated 13% of households lack internet or devices to participate online, according to AT&T.

Asked how important it was to choose the Boys and Girls Club for the laptops, Sanchez added, “That was an easy decision.”

AT&T and Human-I-T also collaborated to provide laptops for youth as recently as last October, when students in the local career development program SCK LAUNCH received 25 laptops from them.

Youth of the Year

It was a day of celebration for Youth of the Year participants. The competition required them to submit three essays, deliver a speech to a panel of judges and handle an interview. The laptops were the final surprise of the afternoon.

Five finalists delivered speeches to the audience. Brooke Justice, interim president and CEO of Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, announced $2,000 scholarships for each finalist to attend one of Kentucky Community and Technical College System’s institutions.

Lillian Cook, from the Kentuckiana Boys & Girls Clubs (Louisville), and Avaley Moore, from the Ft. Campbell Boys & Girls Club, were the traditional and military club winners statewide, respectively. Each received $5,500 in scholarships and will advance to the regional competition.

“(The Boys and Girls Club) has brought different opportunities for me, such as figuring out what I want to do in my life, (like) becoming a vet … ,” said finalist Kamyah Flippin, who’s represented the Bowling Green Area clubs.