Case Study: EducationSuperHighway closes the national classroom connectivity gap with Studio Usher

Education Super Highway helps close a 72% broadband gap with Studio Usher

Education Super Highway faced a critical challenge in 2011 when 72% of American public schools lacked adequate broadband, preventing 40 million students from digital learning. The nonprofit's goal was to modernize the federal E-rate program and unlock billions in funding. To achieve this, they partnered with vendor Studio Usher for a strategic campaign that included design, print, and digital services to reframe the issue and influence policymakers.

Studio Usher's solution involved creating a powerful, human-centered campaign that visualized the connectivity gap through student portraits and clear data, departing from traditional policy formats. This work successfully mobilized bipartisan support, leading major foundations to commit $9 million and the FCC to approve $5 billion in expanded broadband funding. The vendor's efforts contributed directly to closing the national classroom connectivity gap, with 99.2% of schools achieving the required broadband capacity by 2019.

Education Super Highway