Press Release: Hmong American Partnership Supports Hmong Youth Affected by the Digital Divide with a $15,000 Grant from AT&T Foundation

Grant will support academic programs, financial literacy and digital skills training through Youth Job Skills program

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 18, 2022 – As part of AT&T’s nationwide commitment to help bridge the digital divide, the AT&T Foundation is granting $15,000 to Hmong American Partnership (HAP) to support academic programs, financial literacy and digital skills training for Hmong youth in need.

The AT&T Foundation grant will support HAP’s Youth Job Skills program, which provides a wide range of services to support youth career pathways and help bridge the digital divide for Hmong youth in need. Hmong students who may not have a device or internet connection at home receive help with academic support, financial literacy, career planning and more to help prepare them for success after high school. Other support includes digital literacy skills, homework help, IT credentialing, and occupational skills training. HAP supplies the technology for all participating youth.

HAP is working to help bridge digital divide gaps by providing computer access, tutoring support, digital literacy resources and skills, career planning, and IT programming for low-income, disadvantaged immigrant and refugee communities residing in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

“Our mission is to empower our youth to embrace the strengths of our cultures while achieving our potential,” said May yer Thao, President & CEO of Hmong American Partnership. “In today’s world, that means working to bridge digital divide gaps, so Hmong and immigrant youth have access to the digital skills and resources they need to be successful in school and life. We are grateful for the AT&T Foundation’s support of our mission.”

“We believe all Americans, especially our youth, should be connected to the future, regardless of income or zip code,” said Paul Weirtz, State President of AT&T Minnesota. “The AT&T Foundation is proud to support the efforts of Hmong American Partnership to help close the digital divide for Hmong youth who need extra help to navigate and succeed in our digital world.”

Hmong American Partnership is a community-based organization focused on serving low-income, disadvantaged immigrant and refugee communities residing in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Originally founded in 1990 to serve Minnesota’s growing Hmong population, HAP is now the largest Hmong-serving organization in the nation. Its mission is to empower the community to embrace the strengths of its cultures while achieving its potential.

Since 2014, AT&T has contributed $490,000 to Hmong American Partnership, including today’s $15,000 grant, to support its workforce and leadership development programs for Southeast Asian youth.

These efforts are part of AT&T’s $2 billion commitment from 2021-2023 to help bridge the digital divide through investments in digital literacy tools, education resources, broadband technology, low-cost internet service, and computers. AT&T is committed to connecting more Americans to reliable, high-speed broadband internet in several ways, including expanding and upgrading our network and participating in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
We’re committed to advancing education, creating opportunities, strengthening communities and improving lives. As part of our company-wide $2 billion commitment from 2021-2023 to address the digital divide, we launched AT&T Connected Learning to invest in connectivity, technology, digital literacy and education solutions to help today’s learners succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Since 2008, we’ve committed more than $600 million to programs that help millions of students across all 50 states and around the world, particularly those in underserved communities.

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