Some 350,000 students in New York City public schools will be provided with Chromebook laptop computers for their academic work.
Mayor Eric Adams says the internet-enabled devices will help the nation's largest school system bridge the digital divide between technology haves and have-nots.
Students will receive LTE or 5G connected Chromebooks with optimized educational programming to ensure they have the tools necessary to succeed in a digital learning environment. The laptops are replacing outdated devices that no longer meet instructional and security standards. Students will be able to use these cellular-connected devices to get online for free wherever they live.
New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos says the access to Chromebooks means that "no matter what kind of internet access a student has at home, they’re still able to log on and take advantage of every educational opportunity available to them as we continue to move our city in a more equitable direction.”
City officials plan to use data to target the neediest areas for the phased-in rollout of the devices, Chalkbeat New York reports. Schools will receive priority if their devices are older than five years or they don’t have enough devices for each student, Aviles-Ramos says.
The distribution of these Chromebooks was made possible after the city came to an agreement with T-Mobile to make the company a major wireless carrier to support city operations. As part of the agreement, the 350,000 devices being distributed to students will come equipped with T-Mobile LTE or 5G access.
“Access to reliable technology and high-speed internet is a modern-day necessity, and, right now, too many New York City students don’t have it," Adams says. "That doesn’t just prevent progress inside the classroom, it limits opportunities outside of it."
The rollout of 350,000 devices over the coming months will focus on meeting the needs of students who require keyboard-equipped devices for academic instruction and assessments.
The Chromebooks will support Google Workspace, New York City Public Schools-approved apps, and state assessment platforms.
All Chromebooks will be configured and enrolled using Google Management Console, which applies New York City Public Schools enterprise settings to ensure secure, standardized access across all devices. Key applications pre-loaded on devices will include:
- Google Workspace for Education: Features widely used programs across New York City Public Schools for instruction, assignments, collaboration, and communication.
- TeachHub: New York City Public Schools’ secure, single sign-on portal for students, teachers, and staff — providing centralized access to digital learning applications, instructional resources, announcements, and integrated tools like Google Classroom, Clever, and iLearnNYC.
- iLearnNYC: Provides access to digital curriculum materials, personalized learning platforms, and New York City Public Schools-approved content aligned to standards.
