STAMFORD, C.T.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Altice USA (NYSE:ATUS), one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States, today hosted an event with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Altice USA Chairman and CEO Dexter Goei to introduce its Altice Connect Smart digital literacy education program developed in partnership with EVERFI, an education technology innovator with programs in public schools nationwide.

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Dolan Middle School students with (centered L-R) Principal Charmaine Tourse, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and Altice USA Chairman and CEO Dexter Goei (Photo: Business Wire)

Altice Connect Smart will provide digital citizenship education in select schools nationwide across Altice USA’s service areas -- beginning in Connecticut -- reinforcing the Company’s commitment to education and digital accessibility in the local communities. The curriculum, donated by Altice USA, enables students to build digital skills and understand the risks and rewards of technology while tackling important issues including privacy, security, cyberbullying, digital relationships, and digital addiction.

The event was held at Dolan Middle School in Stamford, CT, and featured remarks from Senator Blumenthal, Mr. Goei, and Principal Charmaine Tourse. During the event, one student spoke about her positive experiences with the program and several students also had the opportunity to ask questions about the importance of digital literacy. Dolan Middle School was selected as the host school for the launch event based on their initial success with the program and commitment to using the program across the entire eighth grade next year.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said: “It is important for our young people to learn the risks and opportunities of social media and the internet. I commend Altice USA for taking steps to help students navigate today’s increasingly complex digital world and to raise awareness of such important issues.”

Dexter Goei, Altice USA Chairman and CEO, said: “As a technology company, we are committed to supporting education and delivering connectivity as we look to advance digital literacy in the local communities where we live and work, and we are honored to partner with Senator Blumenthal and EVERFI to launch the Altice Connect Smart education program to help accomplish this goal. The program will prepare today’s students – our future innovators – by ensuring they have the skills they need to engage with technology safely and responsibly.”

Jon Chapman, EVERFI Co-Founder and President of Global Partnerships, said: "We are thrilled to work with Altice USA to launch this incredible program harnessing technology to teach critical digital literacy skills. This partnership will empower and educate communities by providing them with the tools they need to thrive in this ever-changing digital age."

The Altice Connect Smart program is an interactive, new-media learning platform that combines instructional design, rich media, and gaming. The 3.5-hour curriculum is designed for students in the 6th – 9th grades and aligns with national standards established by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), as well as emerging state standards. The curriculum also focuses on building digital skills, such as creating a blog, maintaining a responsible social networking profile, and evaluating online research sources for legitimacy. The learning platform tracks both knowledge gain as well as students’ attitudes and behaviors on these important issues.

For more information, visit www.alticeconnects.com.

About Altice USA

Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS), the U.S. business of Altice N.V. (Euronext: ATC, ATCB), is one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States, delivering broadband, pay television, telephony services, Wi-Fi hotspot access, proprietary content and advertising services to approximately 4.9 million residential and business customers across 21 states through its Optimum and Suddenlink brands.

About EVERFI, Inc.

EVERFI, Inc. is the leading education technology company that provides learners of all ages education for the real world, through innovative and scalable digital learning. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model and has certified over 16 million learners in critical skill areas. The EVERFI Education Network powers more than 4,200 partners in their education initiatives across all 50 states and Canada. Learn more at EVERFI.com.

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