Franklin Savings Bank partners with National Collaborative for Digital Equity

FRANKLIN — Franklin Savings Bank has joined a collaborative effort spearheaded by the National Collaborative for Digital Equity to assist low- to moderate-income communities with access to digital broadband services and educational resources for students. The program will provide two computers and 25 subscriptions to financial literacy programs to Franklin High School.

“This project has captured the concerns of many individuals throughout the bank as well as stakeholders in the Franklin community,” said Ulrike Smith, Community Reinvestment Act officer for FSB.  

Dr. Robert McLaughlin, executive director of the National Collaborative for Digital Equity, said, “It has been an honor to work with Franklin Savings Bank along with our content and refurbishment partners to demonstrate powerful, low-cost, high-impact ways in which banks can use their Community Reinvestment Act funds to make measurable impacts in helping families become economically independent and self-determining. Our partners have all deeply discounted their resources because they share the bank’s and our commitment that economic opportunity is what has made our nation strong and our communities thrive. While this is initially a small pilot, it’s very significant both because it’s a start to providing many more computers for families in Franklin that need them and also because this highlights how other banks nationwide can receive CRA credit for funding refurbishment and donation of their computers too.”

“Our teachers, librarians and I are deeply grateful and heartened by Franklin Savings Bank’s support for our students and their families,” said Dr. Daniel LeGallo, Franklin School District superintendent. “We know this is the first step in a long-term initiative in Franklin to bring to our learners key resources needed for educational and economic opportunity, from computers they can use at home to digital educational materials. This will put our students on an equal footing with pupils everywhere.”

Sage Sustainable Electronics will refurbish, clean and install Windows 10, Microsoft Office, antivirus software, along with EBSCO’s LearningExpress program and a collection of financial literacy training resources from Rosen Digital on the two computers donated to Franklin High School. 

Rosen Digital will provide their financial literacy curriculum for the donated computers. 

EBSCO Information Services will provide the LearningExpress library, a suite of eLearning solutions featuring interactive tutorials, practice tests, eBooks, flashcards and articles for academic skill-building, standardized test prep, career development and more.

Visit www.fsbnh.bank to learn more.