Miami-Dade County Public Schools Students to Receive Internet-Connected Devices from Verizon Innovative Learning at Rollout Event

In partnership with Digital Promise, Verizon Innovative Learning welcomes five new Miami-Dade public schools for the 2024-2025 school year.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) will celebrate its expanded partnership with Verizon Innovative Learning with a kickoff event on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Horace Mann Middle in which students will receive their own devices.  The school is located at 8950 N.W. 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL  33150.

Horace Mann, Henry H. Filer, Kinloch Park, Miami Springs, and Palm Springs middle schools are among 34 schools joining Verizon Innovative Learning Schools for the 2024-2025 school year, bringing the program’s impact to 626 schools nationwide. A total of 2,992 devices with data plans will be provided to these Miami-Dade County schools as part of the program. The market value of Verizon Innovative Learning’s investment is on average over $2.3 million per school. These five schools join 15 other Miami-Dade County schools already in the program.

Verizon Innovative Learning Schools – Verizon’s award-winning education initiative that addresses barriers to digital inclusion and helps drive digital equity within education for some of the most vulnerable populations across the country – partners with Digital Promise and works side-by-side with schools and districts to get internet-connected devices into the hands of students and enhances how teachers use technology in the classroom.

“The partnership between Digital Promise, Verizon Innovative Learning, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools has opened the doors for so many of our educators, families, and students,” said Olema Herrera, district supervisor for instructional technology for M-DCPS. “It is not just an initiative but an opportunity that has changed the mindset of how teaching and learning occurs; it has changed the trajectory of students’ educational journey.”

In addition to reliable access for every student and teacher, Verizon Innovative Learning Schools also equips each school with a technology coach and provides robust professional learning support for teachers to effectively integrate technology into the classroom. Teachers in the program have reported that the initiative allows for more individualized instruction, helps them explore new ways of teaching, and elevates student engagement.

“Today’s announcement reinforces Verizon’s commitment to bridge the digital divide in Miami,” said Courtney Barnard, Verizon state and local government affairs. “We are proud to invest in the community and help students and teachers thrive with access to free training and devices.”

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