Pittsburgh Public Schools has been awarded a $250,000 grant from a national program that links underprivileged high school students with at-home high-speed internet service.

The grant is funded by the 1Million Project Foundation, which was announced in 2016 by Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure and got underway in the last school year. Since its inception, it has distributed 113,000 mobile devices in 1,400 schools across 31 states.

Mobile hotspots are used to create areas of WiFi coverage that nearby devices can use to connect to the internet.  

In Pittsburgh, the grant is expected to provide up to 700 devices, all of which would provide unlimited data and Sprint technical support to students who receive them.

The Pittsburgh Public school board is expected to vote on the grant next week, and the plan is for the devices to be in use in the upcoming school year.

Funds from the grant would pay for tablets, hotspot devices, and smartphones.

“The spirit of the grant was to really address what some consider the ‘homework gap,’ which we know we’ve struggled with for a large portion of our student body,” said Scott Gutowski, chief information officer for Pittsburgh Public Schools.

The “homework gap” refers to studies that conclude students without internet access suffer academically, many times because they are unable to complete online assignments.

The 700 devices — which would be distributed by the end of September — are intended to bridge that divide, Mr. Gutowski said.

The school district would provide one-on-one device assignments to students who have been previously identified as needing home internet access. If available, other devices would be loaned on an as-needed basis.

The number of devices allocated to each school and the criteria that satisfies students’ eligibility for one-on-one assignments would be determined by each school’s needs, Mr. Gutowski said. 

“We don't want there to be a learning gap for our students,” Mr. Gutowski said. “We know that it exists, and addressing that gap with these devices is a fundamental component of our strategic plan.” 

The 1Million Project claims that 84 percent of students said the program helped them to complete more homework in a comfortable, convenient and safe place, while82 percent of students feel more confident in their ability to academically succeed.

Tyrone Lomax: tlomax@post-gazette.com.

First Published: June 18, 2018, 12:30 p.m.