Optimum Strengthens Support for Local Students and STEM Education Through Renewed Partnerships with FIRST®, DonorsChoose, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America
As part of Optimum’s commitment to inspire the next generation of innovators and leaders, the company continues to partner with organizations to support local communities across its footprint
Optimum, the provider of fiber internet, mobile, TV, and phone services, today announces its continued partnerships with national organizations FIRST®, DonorsChoose, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support innovation and growth of students throughout Optimum’s local communities.
“Optimum is immensely proud to continue our partnerships with esteemed nonprofit organizations like FIRST, DonorsChoose, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America,” said Jen Ostrager, Senior Vice President of Community Affairs at Optimum. “These collaborations impact the communities we serve across our 21-state footprint and are at the heart of our commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders through education, innovation, and community support. By investing in these initiatives, Optimum is not only enhancing the resources available to students but also fostering an environment of creativity and leadership within our local communities.”
FIRST
As part of Optimum’s long-standing partnership with robotics community FIRST, Optimum is sponsoring over 70 teams for the 2025 FIRST® Robotics Competition season, where students learn engineering and problem-solving skills as they compete for awards, create a team identity, raise funds, hone teamwork skills, and advance appreciation for STEM in their community.
Optimum’s commitment to this community will help supply resources and tools needed for FIRST teams to build and program a robot to perform this season’s ocean-inspired challenge, REEFSCAPESM. This year, Optimum will also be sponsoring six regional programs and competitions across its footprint, including FIRST Long Island, Mid Atlantic, North Carolina, Texas, NYC and Hudson Valley to allow local high school students an opportunity to showcase and test their robots and continue developing their skills across mechanical and electrical engineering, coding, programming, marketing, communications, leadership, and more.
In addition to Optimum’s annual commitment through FIRST, the company continues to support and foster STEM skill development among high school students across the communities it serves through its annual award program – the Optimum Innovator Awards. Following each competition season, Optimum recognizes and awards grants to local FIRST teams for their innovation and efforts in areas including community engagement, technology, inspiration, diversity, and sustainability. The awarded grants help further support the winning teams’ growth, creativity, and innovation as they prepare for the next season of competitions and find new ways to engineer their robots. Click here to read more about the winners of Optimum’s 2024 Innovator Awards.
DonorsChoose
For a fifth year in a row, Optimum is supporting public school teachers, students, and classrooms across its service area through its partnership with national education nonprofit DonorsChoose.
This renewed commitment by Optimum has helped fund classroom projects in hundreds of communities that enable access to tools, technologies, and experiences to support student success. To date, the company has funded more than 14,000 classroom projects in over 6,000 schools across the country with a focus on STEM-based projects, furthering the company’s mission to support the communities it serves by inspiring the next generation of innovators and creators.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Through Optimum’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the company is providing financial support along with resources such as high-speed internet services and STEM learning opportunities to help foster innovation and growth among youth at over 50 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. This marks the sixth consecutive year of the company’s investment in Boys & Girls Clubs of America, empowering future leaders by offering experiences and opportunities throughout Optimum’s communities, enhancing digital literacy skills, and bolstering their confidence and teamwork abilities.
As part of Optimum’s commitment to making a positive impact in the communities it serves, the company continues to find new ways to deepen its community presence across its service area. Optimum’s partnerships with FIRST, DonorsChoose, and Boys & Girls Clubs are concrete examples of this very commitment to meeting the unique needs of its local customers and communities, furthering the company’s mission to become the connectivity provider of choice in every community it serves.
Click here to learn more about how Optimum is involved in its local communities.