PLANO, Texas – PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA) is proud to announce a $150,000 investment to improve digital literacy training nationwide through its partnership with LULAC National Educational Service Centers (LNESC). This initiative comes as a critical response to a staggering statistic: 32 million Americans lack essential digital skills. (1)
To address this gap, PFNA's investment emphasizes the importance of fostering digital skills from an early age and across generations to unlock educational and economic opportunities, in line with its key business priorities. Since 2022, PepsiCo has donated more than $500,000 to LNSEC's Pathways to Uplift and Empower Through Novel technology and Education Services (PUENTES) program, which provides vital training and educational support to families, equipping them with the skills, resources and tools necessary to have success in a digital environment.
With the support of PFNA, the PUENTES program has reached 450 participants in six US cities, creating transformative learning environments that equip families with essential technology skills, including a San Antonio family whose six-year-old son is part of the bilingual program. Melody Urbina found that it not only helped her educationally, but also created new opportunities for her to bond with her son and strengthened the family's connections to the school and their community.
According to Urbina, “The program is more than just technology. We have created a solid network with other families. The program has facilitated communication between different cultures and generations, which is especially important in Hispanic communities.” Through the program, families participate in cohorts, encouraging intergenerational participation and creating a safe space to learn valuable computer skills. Families become familiar with the digital tools necessary to engage and monitor their children's academic progress, allowing them to practice new skills together at home.
In addition to fostering a sense of community and belonging, the program is demonstrating measurable impact. At the end of the program, the results show:
- More than 90% of participants have increased their confidence with technology.
- More than 90% of participants feel comfortable using technology to learn new skills.
- 92% of participants are comfortable using an electronic device to perform basic computing functions (e.g., email, office applications, etc.).
“As someone who immigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela, I am incredibly proud of our partnership with LNESC and our shared passion for creating sustainable economic opportunities for underserved communities,” said Antonio Escalona, senior vice president of emerging businesses at PepsiCo Foods. North America. “Putting people and their experiences at the forefront is essential to the success of our business. “We are very proud of our efforts to improve digital literacy and are excited to continue supporting this impactful initiative.”
This new digital literacy opens doors to economic opportunities and allows parents to interact effectively with school officials and other community stakeholders.
Participants have access to the vast world of opportunities available through technology, bridging the digital divide and enriching lives in ways that were previously unattainable.
“Continuing this partnership with PFNA means a lot to our students and families,” said LNESC Executive Director Richard Roybal. “It's about hearing stories from participants about how they have benefited from these resources. Together, we are making a transformative impact on many families and we are excited for what is to come.”
To learn more about LNESC and the PUENTES program, go to www.LNESC.org/programs/bridges.
About PepsiCo
Consumers enjoy PepsiCo products more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a portfolio of complementary beverages and convenient foods that includes Lay's®, Doritos®, Cheetos®, Gatorade®, Pepsi-Cola®, Mountain Dew®, Quaker® and SodaStream . PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
PepsiCo's guide is our vision to be the global leader in convenient foods and beverages winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our end-to-end strategic transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.comand continue twitter.com/pepsico” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>x (twitter), instagram.com/pepsico/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>instagram, facebook.com/PepsiCo/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>facebookand LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
About LNESC
LULAC National Educational Service Centers, Inc. (LNESC) was established in 1973 by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) to provide educational programming to high-needs students in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Across 16 education and technology centers, LNESC has served more than 621,000 students, sent 160,000 students to college, and awarded nearly $31 million in scholarships. LNESC's results are possible thanks to a network of dedicated field staff, top-notch teachers, more than 90 partner schools, and the support of LULAC, the largest Latino membership organization in the country. LNESC works to change lives and build Latino communities, one student at a time. www.LNESC.org
(1) DigitalUS Coalition, 2020
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