Sparklight®, a leading broadband provider, invites schools and organizations serving K-12 students to enter its 7th annual “Dream Bigger” contest for the opportunity to win $2,500 to fund their science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) project or club.
“Sparklight has long recognized the vital role STEM education plays in preparing students for future success,” said Trish Niemann, Vice President of Communications Strategy. “Our annual Dream Bigger contest supports initiatives that introduce students to STEM concepts early, igniting a passion that can shape their futures for a lifetime.”
K-12 schools and organizations in communities throughout the 24 states Sparklight serves may enter to win simply by sharing a photo and a written summary outlining how the money will be used to fund their technology project – whether for equipment, competition fees, curriculum development, field trips or other materials – and how it benefits students. Twelve winners will receive a $2,500 donation.
Since 2019, Sparklight has awarded $150,000 to STEM programs across its footprint through the Dream Bigger initiative. Entries will be accepted February 18 through March 11 at sparklight.com/contest. Finalists will be selected by Sparklight, and the 12 winners will be determined by public online voting from March 13 through March 19 at sparklight.com/contest.
The winning schools and organizations will be highlighted on Sparklight’s social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram.
Mediacom Communications is offering $60,000 in scholarship support for high school seniors who plan to obtain further education. The scholarship program is in its 24th consecutive year and Mediacom’s investment will award $1,000 World Class Scholarships to 60 high school seniors.
Starting in the fall of 2025, scholarship recipients have the flexibility to use the financial awards to support post-secondary college costs or vocational training from an accredited institution. Award selection is based on academic achievement and leadership accomplishments.
This year, Mediacom’s World Class Scholarship application process has fully transitioned online: mediacomworldclass.com. Applications, including recommendation letters and high school transcripts, will now be submitted online. Information has been sent to all high schools in areas where Mediacom delivers its high-speed internet services. High school officials are asked to encourage seniors to submit online applications before the March 14, 2025 deadline.
“Our corporate philosophy extends beyond business success — we’re dedicated to nurturing the potential of young minds, believing that investing in student development is an investment in our collective future,” said Tapan Dandnaik, Mediacom’s SVP of Operations, Product Strategy and Consumer Experience.
Applicants do not have to be Mediacom customers but must live in the 22-state area served by Mediacom’s fiber-rich broadband network. The online application includes a complete list of communities in Mediacom service areas. Inquiries may be sent to scholarship@mediacomcc.com.
Sparklight®, a leading broadband provider, recently awarded a $5,000 grant to Coats for Kids of Clay County through the company’s Charitable Giving Fund. The organization was one of 24 nonprofits across Sparklight’s 24-state footprint that received grants totaling more than $125,000 during the most recent award period.
The Charitable Giving Fund, which awards $250,000 in grants annually, concentrates support in the following priority areas:
Education and Digital Literacy
Food Insecurity
Community Development
This grant season, Sparklight also extended support to organizations devoted to veterans’ outreach, elder care, afterschool programs, community safety, animal advocacy and more.
“Sparklight is proud to support the nonprofits that make a meaningful difference in our community,” said Mike Drahota, Sparklight Senior Regional Director North Central. “These organizations are essential to strengthening the cities and towns we serve, and we are grateful for the opportunity to amplify their efforts. Together, we can bring vital resources and support to those who need it most.”
A ministry of Brazil First United Methodist Church, Coats for Kids of Clay County will use the grant to serve underprivileged elementary students in the community.
“Sparklight’s generous $5,000 donation will help us provide new coats and shoes for over 350 children to keep them healthy and warm over the cold winter,” said Ellen Packard, Coats for Kids of Clay County Chairperson. “The school nurses in our elementary schools identify students who need our help. With Sparklight’s support, we can fulfill these essential needs.”
Nonprofit organizations may apply for a grant during open application periods each spring and fall. Applications for spring 2025 grants will be accepted between April 1-30, 2025.
Sparklight®, a leading broadband provider, recently awarded a $7,500 grant to Vincennes University Foundation through the company’s Charitable Giving Fund. The organization was one of 24 nonprofits across Sparklight’s 24-state footprint that received grants totaling more than $125,000 during the most recent award period.
The Charitable Giving Fund, which awards $250,000 in grants annually, concentrates support in the following priority areas:
Education and Digital Literacy
Food Insecurity
Community Development
This grant season, Sparklight also extended support to organizations devoted to veterans’ outreach, elder care, afterschool programs, community safety, animal advocacy and more.
“Sparklight is proud to support the nonprofits that make a meaningful difference in our community,” said Mike Drahota, Sparklight Senior Regional Director North Central. “These organizations are essential to strengthening the cities and towns we serve, and we are grateful for the opportunity to amplify their efforts. Together, we can bring vital resources and support to those who need it most.”
The grant will be used by Generations, the foundation’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, to improve the quality of life of older adults in need.
“Generations is incredibly grateful to Sparklight,” said Stacey Kahre, Generations Director of Operations. “With this grant, Generations will be able to alleviate food insecurity by providing nutritious meals to homebound older adults in our community. At a time when more seniors are seeking assistance, Sparklight’s support will help us touch many more lives.”
Nonprofit organizations may apply for a grant during open application periods each spring and fall. Applications for spring 2025 grants will be accepted between April 1-30, 2025.
For more information about the Sparklight Charitable Giving Fund, visit www.sparklight.com/charitablegiving. To learn more about Sparklight high-speed internet services and career opportunities, please visit www.sparklight.com or follow Sparklight on Facebook, Instagram and X for news about company updates and community involvement.
New year, new you, and a new Internet plan to keep you connected to what you love most!
Are you ready for the new school year? Whether you’re a freshman living away from home for the first time or a senior excited to enter the workforce next year, you’ll need Internet and Mobile to stay connected, turn in assignments, play the latest games and stream live sports on Peacock.
JUST FOR STUDENTS
University students living off campus may be eligible for Xfinity Internetdeals for as low as $25 per month for 12 months, with plug-and-play WiFi equipment included, a one-year price guarantee, and no annual contract. Plus, you don’t have to worry about missing a deadline with the Xfinity network’s 99.9% reliability, keeping you (and your roommates) connected. The more speed you need, the more benefits you’ll unlock with a free Peacock account, bundled offers with Xfinity Mobile, and a Mastercard gift card that can be used on school expenses or just for fun.
Take a peek at our offerings below (Fast and Gigabit customers get gift cards!) and log in with your school email to get started. After you’ve explored all that Xfinity Internet has to offer, visit Xfinitystudenthub.com to enter the “Xfinity’s Share Your Vacay Your Way” sweepstakes or play our “Xfinity Snack Attack” game to show off your snacking speed to enter the sweepstakes.
PELL GRANT RECIPIENTS
If you are receiving a Pell Grant this year or qualify for programs like the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, or SNAP, you may be eligible for Comcast’s Internet Essentials or Internet Essentials Plus. These plans provide affordable home Internet starting at $9.95/mo for 50 Mbps, along with low-cost computers, free WiFi hotspots and free Internet training. If you were affected by the Affordable Connectivity Program ending in May, you also qualify for Internet Essentials.
Navigating college can be challenging, but your Internet connection doesn’t have to be. Comcast is here to keep you connected so you can make the grade.
GET YOUR OWN PHONE PLAN WITH NOW MOBILE
Did you know that 53% of millennials and Gen Z are currently on their parents’ phone plan? Many note that it is cheaper to pay their parents back for their share of a family plan than it is to get their own plan. While that is true for the major mobile providers, with NOW Mobile, you can get your very own plan that may cost less than your portion of the family plan.
NOW Mobile is Comcast’s new prepaid mobile service that is backed by the Xfinity network. With access to over 20 million Xfinity WiFi hotspots, it’s easy to stay connected when you’re on the move, including libraries, coffee shops, in stadiums and more! Get NOW Internet and NOW Mobile together for $55 per month, and then $25 for each additional line. NOW Mobile provides unlimited 5G data, talk, and text.
Even better for college students, NOW Mobile requires no contracts or credit checks. If you are an international student studying in the US this year, you know how hard it can be to find a phone plan that doesn’t require a social security number and doesn’t lock you into a contract. With NOW Mobile, you can sign up, pause, and cancel anytime, so you don’t have to worry about paying for a plan you won’t use when you go back home for the summer.
STREAM FOR LESS
You deserve a study break, and with the new StreamSaver options, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Stream seamlessly by adding the new Xfinity StreamSaver Bundle for only $15/month for Netflix Standard with ads, Peacock Premium and Apple TV+. Customers can enjoy popular and award-winning TV shows and movies like Netflix’s Emily in Paris and Atlas, Peacock’s Love Island, and Severance and Presumed Innocent from Apple TV+. They will also have access to thousands of hours of live sports including MLB Friday Night Baseball from Apple TV+; NFL Football and WWE (starting in 2025) from Netflix; and NFL Football, Big Ten, Premier League, FIFA World Cup, Golf, WWE, and NASCAR.
For students that yearn for exceptional Spanish-language programming, the recently announced NOW TV Latino offers up 25+ live Spanish-language streaming channels, plus Peacock for $10/month – from live and on-demand shows and movies to live news.
To learn more about student-exclusive offers, visit Xfinity.com/student. To explore streaming plans, customers can visit Xfinity.com.
Mediacom Communications Corporation announced that its 2024 corporate summer internship program has successfully concluded. On Monday, June 3rd, fourteen college students began the 10-week-long program at Mediacom’s Blooming Grove headquarters. This group of interns is studying at schools all over the country and came to Mediacom to be fully immersed in departments ranging from marketing to cybersecurity. The goal of this program is to enhance the students’ skills and expose them to experiences in a professional corporate environment, and after an engaging summer, that goal has been accomplished.
Since the program’s inception in 2003, Mediacom’s career achievement program has given local college students the opportunity to develop their professionalism. This exposure has allowed the interns to explore their interests and apply their college coursework to obtain hands-on experience in their respective fields. The students were also able to interview employees from Mediacom field locations and attend meetings within their departments to get better insight into how everything comes together within the company.
The paid internship includes several training sessions, such as behavior in the workplace, executive presence, respect, resume building, and interview practice. Furthermore, the interns were also able to engage with senior executives at weekly Lunch and Learns with departments including Marketing and Management Information Systems. The interns worked closely with their supervisors and on current projects within their specialty areas. Additionally, each intern completed a career exploration project in which they interviewed Mediacom employees outside of their department so that they could explore several career paths and focuses.
Since its inception, 143 students have participated in Mediacom’s corporate internship program and 20 have gone on to take full-time positions at the company’s headquarters.
“This internship has allowed me to grow professionally and utilize the information I’ve been taught in school,” said Legal Affairs Intern Kelly Tom. “The relationships I’ve made with the other interns and within my department have created an environment that makes me look forward to coming to work. While each intern is fully immersed in their separate departments, we all find a way to catch up and work together throughout the day.”
At the end of the program, each intern presented their final project to a large group that included their Mediacom supervisors as well as other senior executives. These presentations allowed the interns to document their key responsibilities, outcomes, and learning experiences from the past 10 weeks. Presenting in front of 75 people gave each intern a chance to grow their public speaking skills, as well as a platform to express gratitude to their supervisors and the entire Mediacom family for their support during the program.
Despite our best efforts to advocate for its continuation, earlier this year, the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has sadly come to an end. The ACP was established by Congress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has helped 23 million households pay for internet service, including 425,968 Hoosiers. While the loss of ACP is an unfortunate development for families who have not had to worry about the cost of their internet bill, there are affordable alternatives.
As summer is quickly coming to a close, and school children and their families are prepping for a new school year, along with notebooks and pencils, parents understand that internet access is key to ensuring their child’s success. From online classes to research to submitting that final paper, having always-on access to the internet is vital in ensuring students succeed academically. The good news is that Comcast offers Indiana residents low-cost internet to meet families’ online needs for the start of the school year.
Affordable Home Internet
We want families across the state to know that we are listening. We’ve heard your frustrations and challenges with getting home internet that is safe, reliable and with simple pricing. About four-in-ten adults with lower incomes do not have home broadband services (43%) or a desktop or laptop computer (41%) according to a 2021 study by the Pew Research Center. Let me break down your best options to get online at home and in time for the next school year.
Recently receiving “Best” ratings by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s Honor Roll of Low-Cost Plans, for families who need a no-frills low-cost option, Comcast’s Internet Essentials program offers home internet service starting at just $9.95/month. This includes speeds up to 50 Mbps, free equipment, no credit check and no term contract. Residents can also receive speeds up to 100 Mbps with Internet Essentials Plus for $29.95/month. A recent CNN Underscored article outlined how various plans can successfully support a family during the school year with online classes, web browsing, sending emails and streaming. Both plans have received a “Best” rating by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s Honor Roll of Low-Cost Plans. To learn if you are eligible for the program, please visit Xfinity.com/internetessentials.
Earlier this year, we announced our NOW lines of service, where we offer all-in pricing without contracts or credit checks for both home Internet and mobile plans. Offering higher speed tiers without eligibility requirements, NOW Internet costs just $30/month (for 100 Mbps) and $45/month (for 200 Mbps), which can easily be combined with NOW Mobile for as low as $55/month total.
Online Community Centers
If home internet is not an option, Comcast has created 18 “Lift Zones” at community centers throughout Indiana to offer free WiFi access. With more than 1,250 Lift Zone locations nationwide, these active online learning hubs, not only offer free internet access but often classes and other learning opportunities with a Digital Navigator to gain an understanding of online resources. Who are Digital Navigators? Trusted experts affiliated with local nonprofits, educational institutions and governmental organizations, who are trained to help people learn how to get online, use devices and acquire digital skills.
“We’re seeing the impact of the digital divide happen in real time – affordability, access, and gaps in digital skills knowledge affect many of the families who participate in the Financial Stability Alliance and Free Community Tax Service programming,” said Randy Rogers, President & CEO, United Way of South Central Indiana. “Working together with Comcast and the City of Bloomington, investments in our community like laptops and continued affordable internet access can – and will – change the lives of the individuals and families our nonprofit partners serve every day.”
Lift Zones are a critical connection point for those who do not have access to the Internet elsewhere. In fact, four out of 10 Lift Zone users report they would not have Internet access without it, and 56% say that Lift Zones are critical to their success at school, work or managing tasks online.
Here are just a few of our Lift Zone partner organizations that offer digital learning. Click here to find a Lift Zone near you.
Power Hour, Project Blueprint, Career Pathway Center
Having an internet connection is vital in today’s digital age. Between applying for jobs to working remotely to communicating with your doctor – everything happens online. Here in Indiana, we are committed to bridging the digital divide and fostering a future of unlimited possibilities.
Mediacom Communications today announced the launch of Mediacom Mobile, the company’s new mobile phone service. Offered in partnership with Verizon, Mediacom Mobile will provide consumers speed, scale, reliability, and wide-ranging availability at incredibly affordable rates.
Designed to be paired with Mediacom Xtream Internet service, Mediacom Mobile is available in two simple, budget-friendly residential plans:
Unlimited Plan – Unlimited mobile service for $40 per month, per line including all taxes and fees.
By the Gig Plan – Pay as you go mobile phone service for $15 per month, per gigabyte including all taxes and fees.
As an authorized Verizon mobile virtual network operator, Mediacom Mobile gives consumers access to America’s most awarded network. Moreover, Mediacom Mobile customers will be able to seamlessly access thousands of Mediacom Xtream WiFi Hotspots across the nation for an enhanced wireless experience inside and outside the home.
“Our core mission as a company has always been to bring the very best communications services to the communities we serve,” said Tapan Dandnaik, Mediacom’s SVP of Operations, Product Strategy and Consumer Experience. “By combining a proven national wireless network with our fast and reliable fiber-rich Gigabit speeds, robust Xtream Wi-Fi capabilities, and simple, affordable pricing plans, we believe Mediacom Mobile creates a ubiquitous connected experience and a compelling wireless solution for consumers.”
“Verizon, a global leader in telecommunications and technology, is committed to providing exceptional service to customers, and MVNO partners like Mediacom are a vital part of our wholesale strategy to deliver superior customer experiences and value that consumers are looking for,” said Mario Turco, Vice President – Wholesale, Verizon Consumer Group. “We are excited to share in Mediacom’s success launching their wireless services on our network”.
If you are interested in exploring whether Mediacom Mobile is right for you, please visit mediacommobile.com or call 1-855-633-4226.
Michigan City is one of four small cities in the U.S. to receive a $75,000 Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge grant.
The award winners were announced during the U.S. Conference of Mayors 92nd annual meeting June 21 in Kansas City.
“Mayors are investing in economic development that lifts people up instead of leaving them behind,” said U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran, in a press release. “The Talent for Tomorrow Challenge grants will allow the 10 cities to grow these programs and build on their success.”
The challenge is a joint initiative of the USCM and Comcast’s Project UP. The $1 billion initiative supports digital equity for millions of people.
“By providing digital access and skills training, we will be able to build a stronger, more diverse, more equitable and inclusive workforce across the country.”
U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran
Winners in the small cities category were chosen for a commitment to expanding digital training that helps close gaps in skills. The Michigan City Area Schools Digital Revitalization Initiative was the catalyst for the award. Specifically, its digital placemaking platform focuses on wireless technology that creates communication strategies for community development. That connectivity includes students, residents and businesses.
“We are excited to leverage the partnership we have with Michigan City Area Schools to bring digital equity programming to parents and families. It’s important that we connect families to opportunities to increase their quality of life,”
Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch
The program’s goal is to increase access to local workforce training programs to grow readiness for college and careers.
“America’s mayors know well that closing the digital divide is intrinsically connected to the economic competitiveness of our cities and towns. The Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge will help ensure that more people, especially those most often left out of the digital economy, can take advantage of the opportunities that come with acquiring digital skills.”
Dalila Wilson-Scott, executive vice president and chief diversity officer of Comcast Corp. and president of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation
Winners were chosen by judges selected by USCM. The other four small cities winners were: Kinston, North Carolina; White Plains, New York; and York, Pennsylvania.
USCM represents cities with 30,000 or more residents. More than 1,400 cities are represented by their mayors. The Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge is a joint initiative of the USCM and Comcast’s Project UP, and it supports the launch and expansion of local workforce programs designed to grow college and career readiness, close the digital skills gap, advance economic mobility, and lay the foundation for generational wealth in under-resourced communities.
Comcast NBCUniversal has been named one of the top 20 companies in the U.S. by LinkedIn for 2024, recognizing us as one of the best places for employees to grow their careers.
This is the seventh time our global media and technology company has appeared on this esteemed list celebrating workplaces across the country that are prioritizing employees’ career progression and development.
At Comcast NBCUniversal we bring together engineers, designers, creators, storytellers, and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of media and technology. Collectively, we’re building innovative products, content, and experiences that bring joy and connection to our customers and guests around the world now – and for years to come. At the heart of our work is our people, who are passionate about technology, supporting each other, and going above and beyond each and every day.
The annual LinkedIn Top Companies list highlights the 50 best large workplaces in the U.S. and is built on research and in-depth analysis of LinkedIn’s platform and actions of its users, ranking companies based on key pillars related to career progression, including ability for employees to advance, skills growth, company stability, and more.
