Santander Consumer USA, the US financial subsidiary of Banco Santander, announced on Tuesday an investment of 35 million dollars to help close the digital divide in the United States, that is, the lack of access to a computer and online resources by certain communities.
For this purpose, the subsidiary of the largest Spanish bank partnered with the non-profit organization Comp-U-Dopt, dedicated to guaranteeing access to technology and education in this field for young people and communities with few resources.
As part of the plan, Santander Consumer USA will donate computers, high-speed internet connection, and technical and educational support to those residents of certain US cities who meet the established selection criteria and who are winners of a lottery.
The first of these cities will be Dallas, in which the program has an endowment of 7 million dollars that will be administered over two years and is aimed at families with young people of school age who are 200% below the threshold of federal poverty set for the southern area of the city.
10,000 of these South Dallas households will receive free high-speed internet, computers with bilingual helpdesk, and educational resources to improve digital skills.
“It is currently difficult, if not impossible, to find a job, complete schoolwork, and connect to vital services without a reliable computer or internet,” Santander Consumer USA CEO Mahesh Aditya said in a statement.
“Our program with Comp-U-Dopt seeks to level that need, providing families and students with important computing and digital resources to help them thrive and develop. The digital divide is a problem that can be solved.
