TULSA, Okla. — Internet access at home is a lifeline for Kathryn Murphy and her daughter. They use their hotspot to connect Gracie to schoolwork.
“She started using Chromebooks in Pre-K, and now she knows them better than I do,” Murphy said.
As a substitute teacher, Kathryn uses the Wi-Fi hotspot to access teaching assignments. “You have to get on a certain program to be able to see the assignments listed for each day.”
Before they received the hotspot, Murphy told 2 News she faced the same dilemma as many others unable to afford internet at home. To get access, she and her daughter sometimes sat in parking lots in the evening using free Wi-Fi, which didn’t always feel safe and put their devices at risk of getting hacked.
Now that she has the hotspot, she doesn't have that worry. “It helps to know that I can just come home and turn it on, and it’ll be working. I don’t have to sit in a parking lot or somewhere using somebody else’s Wi-Fi connection,” Murphy said.
The Murphy's lost internet access when Kathryn's father passed away. “He always paid for it. When that went away, I didn’t realize how much I needed it until it was gone. Then it became an expense issue,” she explained.
While getting her taxes done at Tulsa Responds, she learned of a partnership it has with USCellular providing free wireless hot spots and two years of free service to 1,200 families in the Tulsa area struggling to afford Wi-Fi as part of the After School Access Project.
“It’s a big weight off my shoulders.”
The program's goal is to bridge the digital divide and ensure safe, reliable internet access for educational purposes for families struggling to afford it.
“You can’t browse too much on it; it’s not for YouTube or games. It’s specifically for their schoolwork,” Murphy said.
She told 2 News that it's okay with her as a mom and a teacher. Just having internet access at home for school-related activities is enough.
For more information on the After School Access Project you can use this link to contact Tulsa Responds.
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