Woodside Elementary Students Get the Red Carpet Treatment: Comcast’s Big Brothers Big Sisters ‘Beyond School Walls’ Program Arrives in Washington State

December 12, 2011 by

Woodside Elementary School students walk the Red Carpet as the Comcast Big Brothers Big Sisters event comes to Washington state.

Woodside Elementary School students walk the Red Carpet as the Comcast Big Brothers Big Sisters event comes to Washington state. Click on the picture to see more photographs of the happy day.

Update on 12/22: here’s a very nice story from the Everett Herald about this event.

I love Big Brothers Big Sisters. Mentoring a young person delivers life-changing benefits for both the “Bigs” and the “Littles,” as Big Brothers Big Sisters likes to call their participants.

The problem is that many people ask, “Who has the time?” Weekends are crazy enough with yard work, soccer games and the inevitable trips to Costco and Home Depot. Carving out a few hours to spend with a “Little” can seem overwhelming.

Now, Big Brothers Big Sisters, with the help of Comcast, has a solution. It’s called the Beyond School Walls program. The program takes fourth and fifth graders from an elementary school and matches them with employees at a nearby company. The “Littles” meet with their “Bigs” twice a month during the lunch hour at the workplace.

Beyond School Walls began in Philadelphia in 2008 and is now in 12 cities across the country. On Friday, the program launched in Lynnwood, with 26 4th and 5th graders from Woodside Elementary School meeting their “Bigs” for the first time at Comcast’s customer service center and regional headquarters in Lynnwood.

We literally rolled out the red carpet for the “Littles,” pretending they were Hollywood stars arriving at the Oscars. Each “Little” received a pair of sunglasses. They were greeted as they came off the bus by Comcast employees pretending they were fans asking for their autographs and by our local television production crew, which shot a video commemorating the occasion. At the end of the red carpet, they met their “Bigs” who were holding up signs with their “Littles” names on them.

Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson, Everett Schools Superintendent Gary Cohn and representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Snohomish County and the YMCA joined us for the launch event. But the real focus of the day was on the kids of Woodside Elementary.

While we were discussing the red carpet event idea, I was a little nervous all of the cameras and attention would overwhelm the kids. It didn’t. They rolled with it like real celebrities, as if they were born to be on camera. You can see some photographs of how happy the ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’ looked on our Facebook page.

Best of all, it was the perfect ice breaker for the “Bigs” and the “Littles,” who will be meeting through the rest of the school year and possibly for life.

Filed under 2011 News Releases, 2011 News Releases, Community investment, News Releases Tagged with , , , , , ,

What are you planning for April 21, 2112?

September 27, 2011 by

Comcast Cares day Volunteers in 2011

We have a lot of people of all ages who want to volunteer.

Hey, let’s do some thinking ahead! We’re welcoming ideas for Comcast Cares Day 2112. On April 21, 2112, employees, families and friends will volunteer at a dozen sites throughout Washington in groups from 50 to 350.

We’ve done everything from transform small parks and school grounds to repainting and rehabilitating buildings such as youth centers. At this link you can see more than you ever wanted to know about a volunteer day in 2011 to get an idea of what sort of projects we take on.

As you can imagine, these are not everyday volunteer projects. There needs to be a lot of room and a lot of need at the location. Usually, these are pretty big projects either because there’s a lot to do, or a lot of land or building to cover, or both. And this is a family event; we bring a lot of children and set up programs for them too. To be honest, when it comes to choosing locations, there are always one or two areas where we find ourselves without an obvious project. Then we start scrambling to find a site big enough to host all we can do. Surely with some advance notice, the community can help us find the most appropriate sites for this kind of help.

So chances are if you are involved with a nonprofit, school, or other group with a need that big, you know about that need right now.

If you think your group might benefit from that many volunteers on an April weekend, get in touch We’d love to start compiling a list of potential sites and getting on the calendars of groups and locations that would benefit from this volunteerism.

Filed under Community investment Tagged with

Comcast Washington Launches Internet Essentials Outreach to Bring More Broadband and Computers to Families that Qualify for Free Lunch at School

September 15, 2011 by

Gov Gregoire at Internet Essentials event

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire explains why Internet and technology access are important at a news conference about Comcast's Internet Essentials.

COMCAST, WASHINGTON GOVERNOR, TACOMA MAYOR, SCHOOL AND NONPROFIT OFFICIALS SHARE BEST-IN-CLASS DIGITAL INCLUSION INITIATIVES TO HELP CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN WASHINGTON STATE

‘Internet Essentials’ to Provide Families with Children Eligible for a Free Lunch under the National School Lunch Program with Low-Cost Internet Service, Affordable Computers and Digital Literacy Training

Update: Here’s some news stories that describe this development:

See more pictures from this event on our Facebook page.

 (Tacoma, WA) Sept. 15, 2011 – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma School Board President Kurt Miller, Tacoma Urban League CEO (and City Councilwoman) Victoria Woodards, Tacoma Housing Authority Executive Director Michael Mirra and Comcast Washington Senior Vice President Len Rozek hosted a briefing today to discuss best-in-class broadband inclusion programs.

At a Tacoma Housing Authority computer center in the Hilltop area of Tacoma, Rozek explained a new national initiative called Internet Essentials, which is being viewed as the most ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption program in the state and country to date.

The program addresses three primary barriers to broadband adoption:

  • A lack of understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful;
  • The cost of a home computer, and
  • The cost of high-speed Internet service.

Internet Essentials is available to families living in Comcast’s service areas with children who are eligible to receive a free lunch under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The goal of Internet Essentials is to help ensure more families benefit from all the Internet has to offer.

According to Rozek, “We’re excited to bring broadband and computers to so many young people and families. We have long provided financial and in-kind support to programs promoting digital literacy and increased broadband adoption. To us here in Washington, Internet Essentials takes all that work to a new level. This program has the potential to help thousands of our Washington families cross the digital divide.”

During the briefing at Hillside Terrace, Gov. Gregoire, Mayor Strickland, and other leaders joined Rozek to  introduce Internet Essentials and discuss ways to work together to help bridge the digital divide.
“We live in a wired world,” Gov. Gregoire said. “And those who don’t have access to that world are at a real and growing disadvantage. With Internet at home, children can research and complete their homework, adults can seek new or better jobs, and families can explore the world together. I commend Comcast for undertaking this initiative, and encourage other businesses to find new and creative ways to help families succeed.”

Gov. Gregoire filmed a Public Service Announcement that Comcast will begin airing this week that encourages people to support broadband adoption programs.

“Comcast’s commitment to closing the digital divide is a much needed boost to those who do not have Internet access at home — providing families with important resources that many of us take for granted,” Mayor Strickland said. “The Internet Essentials program is a perfect example of how a local school district, city government and the business community can work together to help families with education, and other quality of life needs that rely on access to information. We’re embracing this in Tacoma.”

“As America increasingly becomes a digital nation, in-classroom learning is being supplemented with digital curriculums and at-home assignments,” said School Board President Miller. “Internet Essentials will help more low-income families benefit from the educational resources and assistance the Internet provides. They will have greater access to the many online programs and educational resources our district has developed to help our students.”

The very first training in Washington State for new users of the Internet will be Tuesday, Sept, 20,  conducted by the Tacoma Urban League and its youth Digital Connectors.

“We’re pleased that Comcast wants to bring not only the Internet to these homes, but also knowledge of how the Internet can be used safely,” said Victoria Woodards, CEO and President of the Tacoma  Urban League. ”We need parents, educators, community leaders and other government officials to join in this effort, spread the word about Internet Essentials and help increase broadband adoption in our community.”

Service Details:

Qualified Internet Essentials families will receive:

  • Residential Internet service for $9.95 a month + applicable taxes;
  • No price increases, no activation fees, or equipment rental fees;
  • A voucher to purchase a low-cost computer for $149.99 + tax; and
  • Access to free digital literacy training in print, online, and in person

Additional benefits include a complementary Norton™ Security Suite ($160 value) for comprehensive online security protection.

Eligibility:

A household is eligible to participate in the Internet Essentials program if it meets all of the following criteria:

  • Is located where Comcast offers Internet service;
  • Has at least one child who is eligible to receive free school lunch under the NSLP;
  • As an example, according to the Department of Agriculture, a household of three would have to make less than $25,000 a year in income;
  • Has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days;
  • Does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.

Comcast will sign up eligible families in the program for at least three years, through the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Any household that qualifies during this three-year period will remain eligible for Internet Essentials provided a child eligible for a free lunch remains living in the household.

For general information about Internet Essentials, please visit www.internetessentials.com for English and visit www.internetbasico.com for Spanish. Educators or third-parties interested in helping to spread the word can find more information at www.internetessentials.com/partner. Parents looking to enroll in the program can call 1-855-846-8376 or, for Spanish, 1-855-765-6995.

About Comcast Corporation:

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.

Comcast has about 3,300 Washington employees, including 1,000 local customer service representatives in three call centers, who serve more than 1.1 million customers in Washington. For more information, visit http://www.comcastinwashingtonstate.com.

There’s been a lot written about Internet Essentials; visit our corporate blog for more announcements in other states and more information about the program.

Filed under 2011 News Releases, 2011 News Releases, Community investment, News Releases Tagged with , , , , ,

Comcast Continues Support of Federal Way Youth Leadership Program

August 25, 2011 by

The Federal Way Advancing Leadership Youth Class of 2012

Comcast was a founding sponsor of the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce’s wonderful youth leadership program. We’re honored to help sponsor Advancing Leadership Youth again this year. Though this yearlong program, the future leaders of tomorrow meet with the present leaders of today. Both groups emerge at the end of the year with many learnings from each other. The Federal Way Mirror acknowledged the program in this week’s Wednesday issue, and below you’ll find a news release from our community partner, the chamber. We’re delighted to be associated with Advancing Leadership Youth again

 
Federal Way, WA – 8/22/11 – The Federal Way Chamber of Commerce’s Advancing Leadership Youth (ALY) program kicked off its 2011-12 program year last week.  At the two-day opening retreat, 32 teens from seven schools identified their leadership styles, learned about economic development in Federal Way, went on a citywide scavenger hunt, met the mayor, heard from local business leaders, pitched their ideas for City of Federal Way tourism campaigns and talked about living their lives in ways that create a legacy for others.

Comcast in Washington State has renewed its partnership with Advancing Leadership Youth for the eighth consecutive year, contributing $7,500 to support ALY 2012’s One Day Federal Way (1DFW), a team project that focuses the students’ leadership training on helping a targeted population in a significant way.  The ALY 2011 1DFW brought out over 300 volunteers – mostly teenagers – to provide major upgrades to three low-income schools, including extensive cleaning, interior painting and exterior landscaping.  Comcast was the first company to partner with ALY, and thus far has contributed $172,000 plus donated media valued at $225,000.

GlobalScholar, a Bellevue-based education solutions company, is the newest ALY partner, contributing $5,000 to the program.  GlobalScholar learned about Advancing Leadership though it’s work with Federal Way Public Schools, and saw a clear alignment between the program and it’s corporate focus on supporting comprehensive, life-long learning that extends beyond classrooms.

Students in the ALY 2012 class will continue to meet monthly during the school year, addressing different topics each month, visiting different sites and working with over 100 leaders. For more information, visit www.advancingleadership.org.

 

Filed under 2011 News Releases, 2011 News Releases, Community investment, News Releases Tagged with ,

ArtsFund Helps Arts Groups Throughout Pierce and King counties

August 18, 2011 by

One of the highlights of the Neary year is sitting in on the Pierce County allocations committee of ArtsFund, the local corporate council for the arts. Comcast donates to the arts in both Pierce and King counties through this organization where our Senior Vice President Len Rozek serves on the board of directors. Because my focus includes Tacoma and Pierce County, I thought I’d brag on what they’re doing here; but the list below also includes King County, of course. You can find the King County news release here. The following news release comes direct from ArtsFund:

ArtsFund Grants to Pierce County Arts Groups Up Thirty Percent Over 2010

ArtsFund, the region’s central fundraising organization and a strong advocate on cultural issues, announced today that it will make grants to eight  Pierce County arts groups totaling $182,575, an impressive 31 percent increase over last year’s Pierce County grants.

These Pierce County grants were part of ArtsFund’s overall $2.374 million in grants to 63 Pierce and King County arts groups.* This $2.3 million grant total for 2011 is 13 percent higher than ArtsFund’s 2010 grant total.

In making the announcement, Jim Tune, President  & CEO, said, “ArtsFund is delighted it was able to increase grant amounts this year. Even though the economy in general is pulling out of the Great Recession, that recovery is slow to reach the arts. Overall, arts groups are managing extraordinarily well. They are effectively concentrating resources on the artistic product, but many continue to have furloughs and many other cutbacks particularly on the administrative side. Since ArtsFund grants are general operating support, organizations can use the money where it’s needed most.”

Jim Duncan, Chairman and Principal of Sparling and Chair of the ArtsFund Board of Trustees, commented, “On behalf of all the arts, we are deeply grateful to the 300 businesses and foundations and 2,000 individuals who contributed to this year’s campaign and to our Board and members of our volunteer Associates program for their tireless fundraising efforts.”

The campaign was led by ArtsFund trustees Stellman Keehnel, Partner, DLA Piper and Sandy McDade, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Weyerhaeuser.

In addition to support from annual contributions, this year’s grants were funded with an exceptional allocation of earnings from the ArtsFund Foundation. The current balance of funds in the ArtsFund Foundation is $14.4 million.

Since it was founded in 1969, ArtsFund has made grants of more than $63 million to King and Pierce County arts groups. In addition to raising and distributing funds, ArtsFund also supports the cultural life of this region through such research as its recently released economic impact study of cultural organizations and their patrons, through extensive advocacy on important arts issues and through capacity building work such as its Board Leadership Training Program.

2011 ArtsFund Grants                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Charter Members                                                                                         

King County

5th Avenue Theatre……………………………………………………………………………………….. $82,868

ACT Theatre………………………………………………………………………………………………… $118,772

Henry Art Gallery………………………………………………………………………………………….. $102,508

Pacific Northwest Ballet…………………………………………………………………………………. $211,005

Seattle Art Museum……………………………………………………………………………………… $261,117

Seattle Children’s Theatre………………………………………………………………………………. $137,820

Seattle Opera………………………………………………………………………………………………. $270,311

Seattle Repertory Theatre……………………………………………………………………………… $157,418

Seattle Symphony………………………………………………………………………………………… $178,416

Village Theatre…………………………………………………………………………………………….. $108,143

King County Subtotal………………………………………………………………………………….. $1,628,379

Pierce County

Broadway Center for the Performing Arts…………………………………………………………… $63,324

Northest Sinfonietta………………………………………………………………………………………… $9,557

Tacoma Art Museum………………………………………………………………………………………. $54,735

Tacoma Opera……………………………………………………………………………………………….. $10,631

Tacoma Symphony…………………………………………………………………………………………. $19,470

Tacoma Youth Symphony………………………………………………………………………………….. $8,875

Pierce County Subtotal………………………………………………………………………………….. $166,592

Total Charter Members Grants……………………………………………………………………… $1,794,971

 

Continuing Members & Members

King County

Artist Trust……………………………………………………………………………………………………. $18,553

ArtsWest……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. $3,123

Auburn Symphony Orchestra…………………………………………………………………………….. $2,250

Bellevue Arts Museum……………………………………………………………………………………… $3,820

Book-It Repertory Theatre……………………………………………………………………………….. $35,440

Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas…………………………………………………………………. $5,040

Early Music Guild of Seattle………………………………………………………………………………. $13,720

Earshot Jazz Society of Seattle……………………………………………………………………………. $5,967

The Esoterics…………………………………………………………………………………………………… $2,096

Experience Music Project………………………………………………………………………………….. $7,255

Federal Way Symphony…………………………………………………………………………………….. $1,340

Frye Art Museum…………………………………………………………………………………………….. $1,820

Giant Magnet………………………………………………………………………………………………….. $7,235

Jack Straw Productions……………………………………………………………………………………… $8,162

Kirkland Performance Center…………………………………………………………………………….. $1,720

Nordic Heritage Museum…………………………………………………………………………………. $18,605

Northwest African American Museum…………………………………………………………………. $3,355

Northwest Film Forum…………………………………………………………………………………….. $10,225

Northwest Puppet Center…………………………………………………………………………………. $9,383

On the Boards……………………………………………………………………………………………….. $31,628

Pratt Fine Arts Center……………………………………………………………………………………….. $5,405

Richard Hugo House…………………………………………………………………………………………. $8,625

Seattle Arts & Lectures……………………………………………………………………………………. $17,144

Seattle Chamber Music Society…………………………………………………………………………. $21,181

Seattle Choral Company……………………………………………………………………………………. $2,470

Seattle Men’s Chorus/Seattle Women’s Chorus…………………………………………………….. $9,531

Seattle Pro Musica………………………………………………………………………………………….. $11,095

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra………………………………………………………………………… $8,003

Seattle Shakespeare Company…………………………………………………………………………. $37,224

Seattle Theatre Group…………………………………………………………………………………….. $22,033

Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras……………………………………………………………………. $6,955

SIFF……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… $12,088

Spectrum Dance Theater…………………………………………………………………………………… $7,235

Taproot Theatre Company……………………………………………………………………………….. $15,259

Three Dollar Bill Cinema…………………………………………………………………………………….. $4,255

Town Hall Association……………………………………………………………………………………… $23,631

UW World Series at Meany Hall………………………………………………………………………….. $9,555

Vashon Allied Arts……………………………………………………………………………………………. $3,655

Velocity Dance Center………………………………………………………………………………………. $4,215

The Vera Project……………………………………………………………………………………………… $2,555

Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience………………………………… $35,469

Wing-It Productions…………………………………………………………………………………………. $3,835

King County Subtotal…………………………………………………………………………………….. $462,156

Pierce County

Museum of Glass…………………………………………………………………………………………….. $5,360

Tacoma Musical Playhouse………………………………………………………………………………. $10,623

Pierce County Subtotal……………………………………………………………………………………. $15,983

Total Continuing Members & Members Grants………………………………………………….. $478,139

 

Special Grants

 

ArtsFund Plestcheef Design and Decorative Arts Grants:

Bellevue Arts Museum……………………………………………………………………………………. $10,000

Henry Art Gallery…………………………………………………………………………………………….. $5,000

Museum of Glass…………………………………………………………………………………………… $10,000

Tacoma Art Museum………………………………………………………………………………………… $5,000

Subtotal……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. $30,000

 

Kreielsheimer Remainder Foundation Grants……………………………………………………… $66,157

 

Designated Workplace Giving Funds to Non-beneficiaries……………………………………… $5,046

Grand Total 2011 ArtsFund Grants…………………………………………………………………. $2,374,313

*Note that of this amount, $72,326 was from individuals directly designating to specific arts organizations.          

# # #

Filed under 2011 News Releases, Community investment Tagged with , , , ,

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