• by Danielle Oster , April 28, 2025

The title for AT&T’s “The Walk” campaign has a double meaning.

It represents the walk Gia Duarte makes to her local AT&T Connected Learning Center (CLC)  in Los Angeles, as well as the symbolic act of walking onstage to collect a diploma during graduation ceremonies at the center.

Duarte was a student at that CLC, an outpost of the AT&T program that provides devices, training in digital literacy, and internet connections at 64 locations across 19 states. The CLC was part of the Salvadoran American Leadership and Education Fund, and she became an intern there.

“I had to do a lot of community work,” she told Marketing Daily. That included helping members of the local immigrant community with tasks like applying for citizenship, taking citizenship classes, or assisting community members in digital literacy -- all of which, Duarte said, “provides experience on how to help people and be a leader.”

When it came time to think about college, “having access to both technology and mentorship made a real difference in making higher education feel possible. The Connected Learning Lab was a very impactful resource in helping me and my community have opportunities…It felt like we were accomplishing something every time we arrived at the CLC,”  she said.

“The Walk” ends with Duarte receiving a graduation cap at the CLC, followed by the tagline “Connecting Changes Everything.” In reality, she experienced the benefits of her hard work at the center months ahead of graduation, when she was accepted for early admission to Berkeley.

“It's almost like these really prestigious schools feel out of reach because many of the kids that attend that school have so many resources,” Duarte said.  “The CLC gave me all of those resources to make me feel so supported that…it wasn't something that was out of reach.”

Duarte signed her college acceptance letter at the CLC, with AT&T CEO John Stankey present for the occasion -- a moment caught in an Instagram post last year. Now, getting ready to complete her first year at Berkeley, she said that viewing “The Walk” ad really resonated with her, as it reflected her everyday reality walking to the Connected Learning Center.

“Being in that environment surrounded by my classmates brought us closer not only to each other, but real educational opportunities,” she said. “These spaces don't just provide access to technology, but bridge the deeper educational gaps that exist in under-resourced communities.”

“Whether you’re a student researching and applying to college, an individual seeking career growth, or a family learning about mortgages, CLCs provide the resources to help you succeed in an increasingly digital world,”  AT&T Director of Corporate Responsibility Andrew Bailey said.

The company’s goal is to help 25 million people through such programs by 2030, with a focus on affordability, adoption, and access. To reach that milestone, it announced a $5 billion investment for working with nonprofits across the country to open 25 new CLCs by 2025.