Officials from the company joined library district officials last week to present the award at the Santori Library, 101 S. River St., in downtown Aurora.
"Our libraries connect residents to services and programs designed to foster lifelong learning," said Michaela Haberkern, Aurora Public Library District executive director. "Comcast's support will help us equip our customers with the resources and training that will put them on a path to success in our digital world."
Digital navigators are professionals who link residents to resources that can help them build the digital skills needed to succeed in school, participate in the workforce and connect to programs that can help them access and pay for broadband Internet service at home, library officials said.
The programs include: the Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal program which can provide up to $30 a month toward the cost of eligible households' Internet and mobile bills; and Internet Essentials, a Comcast program that provides low-cost Internet service to eligible low-income households with students of all ages, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and public housing residents.
Internet Essentials has helped 1.9 million Illinois residents connect to the Internet at home since it launched in 2011, officials said.
"Comcast is deeply committed to advancing digital equity in the communities we serve," said Carl Jones Jr., Comcast's regional vice president of External and Governmental Affairs.
"Our lives are becoming increasingly digital, and it is critical that our residents have the resources and skills necessary to succeed in our digital economy," said Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin. "I appreciate Comcast's continued investment in Aurora and its longstanding efforts to bridging the digital divide."
Comcast also announced plans to donate 100 laptops to Family Focus Aurora to provide to people it serves.
"We're grateful for Comcast's continued partnership and support to help us deliver on our mission, which is to strengthen families, so they build social capital and achieve upward economic mobility," said Christina Campos, Family Focus Aurora's assistant center director.
The grant funding and laptop donations announced for Aurora are part of Project UP, Comcast's 10-year, $1 billion commitment to help make digital equity a reality in communities the company serves in Illinois and elsewhere across its footprint, company officials said.
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