Farmworker Justice and AT&T Announce a Collaboration to Enhance Digital Literacy in Farmworker Communities

Washington, DC. –Farmworker Justice received a $500,000 contribution from AT&T to help narrow the digital literacy gap in farmworker communities.  In collaboration with the Identification and Recruitment Consortium and the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Collaboration Office at FHI 360, over 20,000 farmworker parents and students will receive instruction and individual support on AT&T resources to develop and enhance their digital literacy. Farmworkers and their families in states including Texas, Florida, California, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Georgia will be able to attend workshops and classes and gain critical skills for today’s digital world.

The farmworker community is deemed an essential workforce yet suffers from food insecurity, lack of access to healthcare and poverty. Farmworker Justice will integrate The Achievery  AT&T’s free online learning platform for K-12 students, as well as its digital literacy resources as part of its educational workshops for the benefit of parents, caregivers, and young adults in farmworker communities.

“We welcome the support of AT&T, which will allow us to provide farmworkers and their families with quality resources and instruction in order for them to develop and enhance essential digital literacy skills,” said Ron Estrada, CEO Farmworker Justice. “The AT&T products which include the digital literacy resources and The Achievery will lay the foundation by which farmworkers can learn critical skills to access timely information, essential services, and opportunities for economic growth.  We look forward to working with our partners to empower farmworkers and their families with the skills needed to navigate in a digital world.”

“As the world accelerates into the digital age, it is essential that we address the widening digital divide that disproportionately affects farmworkers, “said Mylayna Albright, assistant vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility at AT&T. “By investing in Farmworker Justice, we can empower hardworking individuals with the tools and knowledge they need to fully participate in our modern digital world and ensure that no one is left behind in the digital revolution.”

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 commitment to address the digital divide, we launched AT&T Connected Learning® to invest in connectivity and technology, digital literacy and education solutions to help today’s learners succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Since 2008, we’ve committed to programs that help millions of students across all 50 states and around the world, particularly those in underserved communities.

About Farmworker Justice – Farmworker Justice is a 501 C 3 national non-profit organization that seeks to empower farmworkers with the information and resources they need to advocate for better working and living conditions for themselves and their families. Farmworker Justice’s programs, policy efforts and advocacy focuses on issues such as, immigration, climate change, health care, occupational safety, labor protections, economic mobility and works with community based farmworker-serving organizations across the country to help ensure the health, safety and prosperity of farmworkers. For more information, visit www.farmworkerjustice.org