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.
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.
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.
At least $250,000 in airtime to remind employers of great potential workforce
Comcast, in cooperation with Hire America’s Heroes, has produced and has begun showing a second Public Service Announcement that encourages employers to hire veterans.
“Ever since we founded Hire America’s Heroes four years ago, we’ve been impressed with how people step up to support our heroes in the military,” said Major General James M. Collins, US Army (retired) and emeritus member of the board of Hire America’s Heroes. “This PSA campaign reinforces that dedication with constant reminders to remember our military when recruiting and hiring for private sector positions.
“Hire America’s Heroes appreciates Comcast’s dedication to supporting our military personnel throughout the rest of their lives.”
Comcast has committed to air the PSA, as well as one produced during 2010, through the rest of the year for an expected contribution of at least $250,000 worth of airtime. The PSA continues the company’s strong support of Hire America’s Heroes and veterans begun last year with the airing of other PSAs promoting the hiring of veterans.
The Public Service Announcement will air on dozens of channels, such as CNBC and CNN that are available to Comcast customers throughout Western Washington and Spokane County. The latest PSA
features the faces of veterans who have successfully entered or re-entered the private sector for employers such as Comcast.
The first PSA, available for viewing below, was filmed with military personnel at Everett Naval Station, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Alaska Airlines, Comcast and Weyerhaeuser.
“Comcast has had great success in hiring veterans who bring skills, thought and character to the workplace. We’ll do whatever we can to encourage other employers to consider these employees who’ve proven themselves to our nation and are now filling the labor force with great skills and dedication,” said Michael Cindric, Comcast’s Vice President for Human Resources and vice president of Hire America’s Heroes’ board of directors.
Hire America’s Heroes was formed in May 2007 by leaders from five Seattle-based corporations intent on improving access to corporate jobs for transitioning military service members, veterans, and military family members. Hire America’s Heroes is dedicated to sharing and promoting sponsor corporations’ best practices and success strategies by which America’s military service members, upon transition from active duty, are welcomed into the corporate workforce.
Monday in Spokane felt like Comcast Internet Essentials Day to us. In the morning, we held a briefing about the program for the major TV stations that had expressed interest in Internet Essentials. Then that evening, at the request of the mayor, Comcast General Manager Ken Watts briefed the Spokane City Council about the program.
Take a look at the video of the morning briefing. While the adults are all fascinating, we won’t blame you if you advance to the 4:45 mark to hear from three high school students, one of whom had to skip lunches last year to go online at school. The message of speaker after speaker: Internet access at home is important.
Our thanks to the speakers: Ken Watts, general manager of Comcast in Spokane; Steve Gering, Spokane Public Schools; Cari Roderick, East Valley School District; Dick Hanlin, Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County; Dr. Karen Michaelson, Tincan; and students Laura Chamberlain, Kareem Main and Madison Rasmussen. Our big thanks to Tincan for hosting us; their drop-in computer lab in Spokane is an amazing resource.
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:
(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.”
“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.
When it comes to high school sports On Demand, admit it: as a parent, it’s all about your child. Or, if you are a high school athlete, it’s all about seeing you and your friends up on the small screen, just like the pros.
That’s really the best part of our Fall XFINITY® On Demand — High School Sports Schedule football, volleyball and girls soccer games: you get to see your child, your relatives, your friends, your alma mater or even yourself on television. You can fast forward, rewind and pause all their greatest plays.
All of the games will appear on Xfinity On Demand within 72 hours after they are played.
Even if we can watch the game in person, there is something about watching ourselves or people we know on television. How else can you explain otherwise normal people at a sporting event waving like maniacs the moment a television camera is aimed in their direction?
As a sports fan, I’m interested in watching high school powerhouses like Bellevue, Skyline, O’Dea or Lakes for the fun of watching the next Jake Locker or Kasen Williams play. All those teams, plus playoff games in girls volleyball and soccer will be shown. However, the game I’m looking forward to more than any other will take place on September 26th when Holy Names takes on their rivals, Seattle Prep, in girls’ soccer.
My daughter plays for Holy Names. I’ve watched her play dozens of soccer games. I’ve stood on the sidelines in the blazing sun and in the freezing cold when the rain falls sideways. In fact, I intend to be on the sidelines for the Sept. 26th game.
But I know there will be something special about reliving the best moments of the game a few days later with my daughter as we watch the game from the comfort of our family room. We also can share the experience with her relatives in Spokane, many of whom have never seen my daughter play.
Who knows, this could be the game where my daughter scores the winning goal or makes a fantastic play that will live on in our collective memories long after she has hung up her cleats?
I can’t help thinking that with high school sports on Xfinity On Demand, there will be hundreds of parents and relatives who will relive similar special moments during this fall sports season.
The reality is high school sports on Xfinity On Demand may not garner the greatest ratings, but when it comes to creating special memories among young athletes and their families there may be few things that are more meaningful.
I can’t wait for the season to start. Go (Holy Names) Cougars!
The following is a complete list of fall high school games available on Xfinity On Demand. All games will be available within 72 hours after they are played.
The path to find these games is simple. Go to On Demand, then Get Local, then Sports. Look for High School Sports, and you’ll find the list of available games there.
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