Kids and teens eagerly welcome the new Lift Zone at the Boys and Girls Club of Snohomish County (BGCSC), made possible by a $65,000 donation from Comcast. Investing in the City of Snohomish youth, Comcast has partnered with community members, local organizations, and BGCSC to open doors to endless creative possibilities and unlock future potentials right in their own community.
Lift Zones: Offering the Latest Technology
Excited kids gather around Comcast volunteers, leading them through interactive STEAM kits on the opening day of the new Lift Zone. Others are exploring Moxie, the AI emotional support robot, or chatting about potential podcast ideas and possible models they could create with the new 3D-colored printer. The upgraded Lift Zone is equipped with high-powered desktop computers and laptops for advanced programming, interactive experiences, including teleconferencing with other clubs, 3D printers, a podcast studio, virtual reality and STEAM kits created to foster creativity, hands-on learning and community-building.
Comcast and BGCSC have partnered for over a decade on a shared core value of creating stronger communities. During the pandemic, this partnership provided Lift Zones with free, robust internet service to 13 Boys and Girls Clubs in Snohomish County, enabling students to stay connected to school and each other. Collaborating on Lift Zones, boasting the latest technology, is a new phase in the partnership.
“Comcast has provided technology to not only keep kids connected to school but also to provide exposure to technology that they may not otherwise have had access to or the skills to use,” Senior Comcast Director of Government and External Affairs Carla Carrell explains. “This is a reminder of the power of impactful partnerships and positive influence to help students build and expand digital literacy skills, inspire their dreams, and prepare for the future.”
Preparing Kids for Their Futures
Preparing kids and teens to be productive, responsible citizens is a top priority of the partnership between the Boys and Girls Club of Snohomish County and Comcast. Upgraded technology includes high-powered computer stations allowing kids to explore and practice coding, digital art, music production, and graphic design skills in a safe, supervised space.
“We want to invest in a bold way in our youth,” explains BGCSC Chief Operating Officer Marci Volmer. “We believe that by providing dedicated state-of-the-art spaces with engaging staff and relevant programming will be just the hook we need to make the impact we believe is necessary to ensure the future of our kids and our communities.”
Virtual learning opportunities in both the Lift Zone and Teen Center now allow kids to explore places and careers they may not have access to. “You can do a college tour virtually,” Volmer explains. “A lot of our families aren’t able to just hop on a plane and go check out these schools.”
Kids can also explore career choices in the trades or other lines of work. “Kids can explore many careers and trades,” Volmer says. “You can even learn how to drive a forklift by using virtual reality.” Experimenting with a range of potential options can open the door for many kids and teens and provide insight into possible opportunities.
Embracing Community Connections Through Technology
Comcast has launched the nation’s largest broadband adoption program addressing digital equity through free digital literacy training, low-cost internet-ready computers, and affordable high-speed internet. Investments such as the BGCSC Lift Zone bring communities together through technological advancements.
“This is a Boys and Girls Club,” Volmer says. “But it is also an important hub of the community. We have programs where older community members sit next to a third grader and learn how to email grandkids or make a birthday invitation. This is another way it can be a real help to the entire community.”
Providing a safe and positive space for kids and teens to play, learn, and explore, the BGCSC now has the capability to offer the newest and most innovative technology. Teens enjoy eGaming or experimenting with lighting and sound in the Teen Center DJ booth. Teens have a safe and supervised space to spend time and even build relationships in the community. Teen eGaming tournaments are organized, sometimes including members of the police. “Kids are building positive relationships with law enforcement,” Volmer explains. “At the same time, learning fun eGaming skills.”
Preparing kids for their future and building healthy communities while fostering creativity and innovation, the new Comcast Lift Zone in BGCSC is a gift that will benefit the Snohomish community and future generations.
“I am so excited that the kids who come to the Boys and Girls Club of Snohomish County have the opportunity to connect with their future potential through technology that is being made available to them that they can touch and use on a daily basis,” stated Mayor of Snohomish Linda Redmond. “It just makes me feel so happy to see kids have these opportunities.”
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