Dell today announced a $3 million investment to expand its global giving program YouthConnect in the U.S. Twenty-four organizations based in the United States have been selected Dell YouthConnect recipients. More than 20,000 young people in Texas, Washington DC, California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Georgia and Florida will soon have access to state-of-the-art technology. Digital Wish is proud to have been chosen as one of the Dell YouthConnect recipients in the US. Dell YouthConnect is the company's signature giving program designed to help bridge the gap between the technology "haves" and the "have-nots" by placing Dell technology into underserved communities and working with non-profit organizations to teach information and technology skills.

One school in the Nashua School District will be selected to receive 37 laptops to create a program that provides one-computer-per-child in a selected classroom, and promotes the development of technology skills throughout the Nashua district. Students will use these laptops in the classroom during the day and take them home overnight. Laptops will also be provided for the teacher, the school's technology coordinator, and after school clubs. Digital Wish's trainers collaborate with the classroom educators to teach courses on innovation and creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, technology literacy, and collaborative learning. After school, students will work with Dell volunteers to build innovative projects that require problem solving.

This grant provides an incredible opportunity for the Nashua School District to train technology leaders from across the district. Digital Wish encourages internal staff to mentor one another in order to sustain the program beyond the term of this grant. The Nashua School District will be left with an entire methodology of technology integration, including worksheets, videos, and methodology from 7 unique curriculum units.

"Digital Wish's new program in Nashua builds on Dell's past support of our 1:1 computing initiative in 24 schools in Vermont," said Heather Chirtea, Executive Director of Digital Wish. "This new partnership with Dell will allow us to replicate all of those valuable lessons we learned in Vermont schools, and apply them directly in the Nashua School District, bringing us one step closer to putting relevant technology in every classroom in America."

The Dell YouthConnect Grant was awarded in the amount of $80,000 in financial support, oversight, and Dell products to increase access within the school. As importantly, local Dell champions will have many opportunities to volunteer their time in support of Nashua's learning program.

To learn more about the Dell YouthConnect program, visit www.dell.com/youthconnect