The Web is an amazing tool. It provides access to limitless information. It can be used to apply for jobs or start a business. It allows people to stay connected with their friends and family.

Of course, none of this is possible if you don't have access to the Internet.

I recently joined local public figures including Gov. John Hickenlooper, Aurora Public School District Superintendent John Barry, and Denver Public School District Superintendent Tom Boasberg and Comcast Executive Vice President David L. Cohen at Denver's South High School to announce the Colorado launch of Internet Essentials.

The program provides $9.95 Internet service, $149 computers and free digital literacy training to families in Colorado with children who are eligible to receive free lunches under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Internet Essentials helps close the digital divide by directly addressing three of the primary barriers to broadband adoption: a lack of understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful; the cost of a home computer, and the cost of Internet service.

In short, Internet Essentials helps level the playing field for low-income families ensuring they benefit from all the Internet has to offer.

Personally, the program resonates with me because my family and I personally understand the power and reach of the web when it comes to searching for jobs, or tracking down critical family resources.

In Denver alone, more than 48,000 kids are eligible for this excellent program. Internet Essentials will not only help these students directly, but also will provide valuable resources to their families and move Denver, and the rest of the country, one step closer to developing a 21st century workforce.

While there was an impressive lineup of speakers at last week's event, perhaps the most impressive was South High School student Mawukli Yebuah. Mawukli is president of his senior class and shared with us firsthand how this program will help his friends and classmates, by allowing them to more easily complete homework and apply to colleges.

But don't just read about it, see it for yourself here.

For more information visit internetessentials.com for English or internetbasico.com for Spanish. Parents looking to enroll in the program can call 1-855-846-8376 for English or 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.