School is back and we’re here to help.

Verizon is making distance learning a little easier for students, teachers and parents.

With back to school now in full swing (https://www.verizon.com/about/news/he..., this episode is dedicated to all the amazing moms, dads, grandparents and whomever else is helping support our kids during this most unusual fall season. More than ever, it takes a village — virtual or otherwise — to ensure all of our students are ready to learn (https://www.verizon.com/about/news/ve....

The Parents’ POV

We spoke with some V Team parents about the physical and emotional challenges of the coming school year.

Connecting students and teachers

As remote learning continues to play a huge role in students’ lives, we’re stepping up in some critical ways. Partnering with school districts across the country, our national distance learning initiative is now available to more than 36 million students and teachers (https://www.verizon.com/about/news/ma..., supporting tech-enabled learning through devices and connectivity.

STEM Support

All of the tools mentioned above come with Verizon support. Parents and teachers, make sure you check out the STEM Activity Center (http://www.vilteacher.com.php73-39.la.... This toolkit provides science, technology, engineering and math education resources and hands-on activities that students can leverage in and out of the classroom. We’re providing teachers with tools to help them master remote learning and become more efficient with tech-integrated instruction. And let’s not forget our partnerships with The New York Times and Discovery Education, which help to keep our students moving in the right direction.

Verizon Innovative Learning Schools

We’re also expanding our Verizon Innovative Learning program to include high schoolers for the very first time. At the same time, we continue to reach even more middle schools; a total of 254 middle schools will now be part of Verizon Innovative Learning (https://www.verizon.com/about/respons.... Check out this morning’s Good Morning America piece (https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/li...) about how we are helping to bridge the digital divide.

Tutoring opportunities

Students and educators need our support like never before. V Teamers, sharpen your pencils and offer your service by signing up for virtual tutoring and mentoring opportunities on our Volunteer Portal (https://www.verizon.com/about/respons.... Check out the many ways we can continue to give back.

A free productivity tool

Verizon recently announced our best unlimited pricing for teachers and students. Those discounts also come with six months of Todoist Premium (https://doist.com/blog/todoist-verizo...) on us.

Share with us

It certainly won’t be a typical school year, but we know so many of you are doing your best to make it one to remember. Speaking of which, send us your school-related stories and photos: Remote learning setups, teacher shout outs and especially those throwback classics. Send them all! You know the email: [email protected].

Coming up…

Today, our very own Diana Alvear will be teaching her first LinkedIn Live class called “Ready for your close-up.” This former news correspondent is going to show you everything from framing and lighting to what to wear and more. Watch later today at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT on Inside Verizon’s LinkedIn page (  / insideverizon  .

Tomorrow, we’ll hear from Dr. Clarence Jones – attorney, speechwriter and personal friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Jones was a co-writer of Dr King’s historic “I have a dream” speech. Join us for a very special #Next20 (https://www.verizon.com/about/news/ne...) tomorrow at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT on our Up To Speed Twitter page (  / vzuptospeed  .

August 28 marks the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivered his iconic “I have a dream” speech. This Friday at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT we will yield our time for Up to Speed Live to host a company-wide virtual March on Washington (https://verizon.involvesoft.com/oppor...) in partnership with our BOLD ERG. You can sign up through our Volunteer Portal (https://www.verizon.com/about/respons...) and make sure to share your pictures with us at [email protected].

Reminder, tune in to Up To Speed Live Monday at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT (https://www.verizon.com/about/news/sp....

#InsideVerizon #BacktoSchool #VerizonInnovativeLearning