This collaboration, which began in February in Kenya has proven successful, leading now to an expansion of the agreement to schools in Nigeria.
Both organizations are committed to reducing the educational digital divide through Digital Communities. By gaining a deeper understanding of vulnerable schools, they aim to promote innovative pedagogical practices more effectively and support their digital transformation.
This extension of the initial agreement, which also includes some markets in Latin America, is expected to have a positive impact on the lives of nearly 30,000 students and more than 1,000 teachers on both continents.
American Tower (www.AmericanTower.com), a global leading provider of digital communications infrastructure and ProFuturo, a digital education program promoted by Telefónica Foundation and ¨la Caixa¨ Foundation jointly announce the expansion of their alliance to Nigeria to foster digital inclusion through Digital Communities in schools in Africa. After a successful roll-out in Kenya, the program is expanding to Nigeria to continue transforming children’s education through technology with the global objective of reducing the educational gap.
This global agreement between American Tower and ProFuturo aims to support underserved communities by implementing social programs that enhance quality of life and promote equitable access to the digital world.
Thanks to this expansion to Nigeria, the collaboration is set to positively impact nearly 30,000 children from vulnerable communities in Kenya, Nigeria, and parts of Latin America by providing quality digital education through educational innovation projects with technology.
The footprint of this project not only covers the education to be received by the students, but also the training to be delivered to more than 1,000 teachers who will facilitate the roll-out of the training to the children in Africa and Latin America. The impact of this project will be truly far-reaching as it will not only transform access to digital education but will also create a large international network of educators who teach, learn and share knowledge to achieve, together, better education in the world.
Mneesha Nahata, SVP, Legal & Chief Sustainability Officer of American Tower Corporation, stated: “At American Tower, we are deeply proud to strengthen our partnership with ProFuturo, expanding our commitment to bring educational innovation with technology, through our Digital Communities program. This collaboration not only reflects our dedication to bridging the digital divide in Africa and Latin America, but also our commitment to empowering thousands of students and teachers with tools that will transform their futures. Together, we are building a strong foundation for lasting impact, where technology and education come together to create real opportunities for development and progress.”
Magdalena Brier, Managing Director of ProFuturo, points out that this agreement highlights the enormous potential of these types of alliances in favor of digital inclusion and how they contribute to strengthening the positive impact of educational projects on the ground, such as what ProFuturo has been developing since 2016. She said “In this way, education with technology has enormous potential to help reduce the educational gap, thanks to its reach and capacity for inclusion, bringing high-quality content to the most difficult environments, which would be very difficult to access in any other way.”
American Tower’s Digital Communities are digitally connected, technology-enabled spaces that offer digital literacy and youth education, financial literacy and adult vocational training, or health care services.
Following the principles established by the United Nations Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals, American Tower and ProFuturo share the same vision: Access to quality education in complex environments is essential to reduce poverty and inequality in the region. Through this strategic collaboration, it is expected to encourage and promote an increase in knowledge, while promoting innovative practices and strengthening educational digital transformation in the coming years.
Suzette Victor, Director, Sustainability, ATC Africa, stated: “In Africa, closing the digital divide is crucial to ensuring that no one is left behind and our partnership with ProFuturo will strengthen our resolve to reach individuals in underserved communities with the transformative power of technology in education. The expansion of this partnership to Nigeria will not only address immediate educational needs but will also lay the groundwork for a future where every child has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their circumstances.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of American Tower Corporation.
Media Contacts:
American Tower
Alejandro Kowalski
Senior Director of Communications for EMEA & LatAm
alejandro.kowalski@americantower.com
+34 669077383
Jonathan Thienemann
Senior Director of External Communication, Corporate
jonathan.thienemann@americantower.com
Aderonke Adebanjo
Senior Manager, Communications, Africa
aderonke.adebanjo@americantower.com
ProFuturo
Rafa Cobo
rafael.cobo@telefonica.com
+34 647665488
Blanca Mendiguchía
bmendiguchia@atrevia.com
+34 667632924
About ProFuturo:
ProFuturo is an educational technology innovation program launched by the Telefónica Foundation and the “la Caixa” Foundation to reduce the educational gap in the world by providing quality education to children in vulnerable environments in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. Its intervention model is based on impact evidence provided by continuous monitoring processes, studies, and evaluations.
ProFuturo is based on innovative teaching methodologies with which it seeks to help teachers and students develop skills to face the challenges of the 21st century. The program works with other institutions and companies and aims to create a large international network of teachers who teach, learn, and share knowledge to achieve, together, better education in the world.
About American Tower:
American Tower, one of the world’s largest real estate investment trusts (REITs), is one of the leading independent owners, operators, and developers of communications real estate, with a global portfolio exceeding 150,000 sites and a highly interconnected network of data centers in the United States.
Headquartered in Boston, USA, American Tower operates in the United States, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Spain, and Uganda.
