AT&T Continues Support for Virtual Ed Lab Program

In 2023, a generous gift from AT&T enabled the UNCW Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory to offer afterschool virtual tutoring services to students in underserved communities in partnership with NC Project LEAD and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina. Additional funding of $19,300 provided through AT&T Connected Learning will allow the program to continue this academic year.

Joey Nelson, Regional Director of External Affairs, AT&T North Carolina presented the check to Watson College Dean Tracy Linderholm and Ed Lab Director Brian Brinkley at a celebration event held at the Boys & Girls Club Brigade Campus on October 23.

“At AT&T, we are committed to investing in students today – at home, in the classroom, at work – to narrow the digital divide by providing today’s learners with equitable opportunity to learn and thrive,” Nelson said. “We are proud to support the UNCW Watson College of Education Stike Ed Lab, NC Project LEAD and the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern North Carolina with our shared goal to empower learners everywhere to reach their highest potential.”

The virtual tutoring program provides K-5 students in three counties with access to high-speed internet, lesson materials and tutoring that enhances digital literacy and learning outcomes. UNCW students, many of whom are studying to be teachers, will serve as one-on-one tutors for children in six partner organization facilities. Tutoring sessions will be held twice a week throughout the spring 2025 semester. Partner coordinators will be on-site to assist children with accessing virtual tutoring and facilitating communication with online tutors.  

Brinkley said the virtual tutoring program has been very successful and the Ed Lab team is excited for this opportunity to continue it for students enrolled in after-school programs at NC Project LEAD and the Houston Moore, Brigade and Daniel Cameron Boys & Girls Club locations.

“Our greatest achievement is the reciprocity of growth for both our tutees and our tutors,” he said. “Those who are tutored receive one-on-one instruction tailored to their individual needs. They receive mentorship on a day-to-day basis as they navigate their classroom environment. Our tutors build meaningful relationships and grow significantly in their abilities to utilize online resources. They also enhance digital competencies as they prepare to become educators in the 21^st century.”

The Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory in the Watson College of Education is designed as a critical component of the teacher preparation programs of the university. Created in 1985, the on-campus Ed Lab enables future teachers to practice the methods they are learning in their courses by teaching a child in a one-on-one supervised setting. During Covid school closures, the Ed Lab team successfully transitioned to a fully online learning environment. Through generous support from AT&T, Watson’s Ed Lab team has been able to apply what they learned during the pandemic about high-quality, one-to-one virtual teaching to provide valuable learning opportunities for students from rural communities who would not regularly have access to UNCW’s physical Ed Lab locations.

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T  

AT&T is committed to advancing education, creating opportunities, strengthening communities, and improving lives. As part of a companywide commitment to address the digital divide, they 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 AT&T has committed to programs that help millions of students across all 50 states, Washington D.C. and around the world, particularly those in underserved communities.