Major mass communication company Spectrum has announced $30,000 in grant funding to support NYCHA youth.
Spectrum announced on Tuesday, March 11, that a $30,000 Spectrum Digital Education Grant to the Public Housing Community Fund will support three cohorts of their NYCHA Youth Tech Corps: Intergenerational Connections Program.
The Pomonok Houses, located at 67-10 Parsons Blvd, Fresh Meadows, is one of the three participating cohorts. Other participating NYCHA communities include Polo Grounds Houses in Harlem and Richmond Terrace in Staten Island.
Spectrum officials and community stakeholders held a check presentation on Monday, March 10, at the Public Housing Community Fund’s office in Manhattan.
The NYCHA Youth Tech Corps: Intergenerational Connections Program is a 10-week program that pairs NYCHA youth aged 16-24 with adult resident leaders to understand the technology needs in their public housing developments. The program’s goal is to address the technological needs of residents while the youth participants have an opportunity to improve their tech skills with hands-on workshops and explore career paths.
Working with the adult resident association leaders, the youth participants focus on solving community issues using technology, including social media, AI, electronic flyers, online surveys, and website development.
The Spectrum Digital Education Grant also provides each participant with laptops, food, and financial stipends.
This latest grant is the second Spectrum Digital Education Grant awarded to the Public Housing Community Fund, bringing Spectrum’s total support for the organization to $55,000 over the past two years.
Mike Williams, regional vice president of the NYC Region for Spectrum, emphasized how connectivity provides a foundation for learning, professional development, and human connection, which supports building strong communities.
“Spectrum Digital Education supports programs that empower community members to enhance their lives with connectivity, from providing digital literacy training to seniors to connecting students with important resources and tools for their education,” Williams said.
Claire McLeveighn, chief strategic engagement officer at the Public Housing Community Fund, said that with this second Spectrum Digital Education grant, the organization can bring intergenerational digital literacy to NYCHA youth and adults.
“Through Spectrum’s support, youth and adults engage together in hands-on learning about technology and its applications, understanding the unique technology needs of their respective developments, and applying their new skills toward improving communication throughout each community,” Mc Leveighn said.
The Public Housing Community Fund is a nonprofit organization that creates partnerships with various organizations to develop programs to enhance the lives of the over 500,000 residents living across the NYCHA community. The organization’s goal is to continuously invest in public housing communities by investing in programs centered around leadership development, financial empowerment, community health, and workforce training for NYCHA residents.
Since launching in 2017, Spectrum Digital Education has committed over $10 million to nonprofits focused on improving digital literacy, workforce development, and educational access in unserved and underserved communities across Charter’s 41-state service area.
With support from its nonprofit partners, Spectrum Digital Education has distributed over 18,500 laptops and sponsored more than 42,000 digital education classes for over 173,000 community members.
The Public Housing Community Fund is one of 66 nationwide nonprofit organizations awarded a 2024 Spectrum Digital Education grant. Locally, it is one of five New York City area recipients.
