Verizon donates $1 million to Liberty Science Center to champion public access to AI skilling technology

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verizon today announced a $1 million grant to the Liberty Science Center (LSC) in Jersey City, NJ in conjunction with the launch of Verizon AI Skills for America, a new workforce development initiative equipping workers, small businesses, and educators nationwide with practical AI skills. Unveiled at LSC, the grant will support tech-driven education initiatives and establish interactive programming that introduces visitors to the innovative AI skilling technology that is at the heart of this new national initiative.

To bring this national vision into local communities, Verizon is collaborating with premier educational hubs like LSC, an organization known for sparking lifelong learning and scientific curiosity. This grant will help LSC provide visitors with exposure to Verizon’s new AI training resource to help communities confidently embrace new technology and shape their own futures.

“From Thomas Edison’s laboratories to the breakthroughs at Bell Labs, New Jersey has a proud history of innovations that changed the world,” said Governor Sherrill. “Liberty Science Center keeps that spirit of discovery alive, and this investment from Verizon will give students and workers practical skills they can turn into opportunities. By preparing more New Jerseyans for good-paying jobs, we will keep our state at the forefront of innovation.”

“As a company with a strong footprint in New Jersey, Verizon is deeply committed to supporting the communities we call home, and our longstanding partnership with Liberty Science Center is a cornerstone of that commitment,” said Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer of Verizon. “Verizon and LSC have a shared vision of empowering the learners and leaders of tomorrow, and we’re excited to work together to create programming that evokes curiosity for new technologies for educators, families and students from across the state.”

This donation represents the latest chapter in the partnership between Verizon and LSC. Verizon is a proud Founding Corporate Sponsor of SciTech Scity, the 30-acre innovation campus currently under development by LSC, aimed at bringing together scientists, entrepreneurs, and students to pioneer new technologies.

“Verizon has been a steadfast partner in our mission to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Paul Hoffman, President and CEO of Liberty Science Center. “From their early support as a founding sponsor of SciTech Scity to this generous new grant, Verizon understands that building prepared communities and empowering individuals starts by working at the local level. We look forward to creating a program that allows our guests to experience the power of this technology firsthand in an accessible, hands-on environment.”

To learn more about Verizon’s national workforce efforts, visit verizon.com/aiskillsforamerica. To plan a visit to the Liberty Science Center, visit lsc.org.

This announcement was originally published by Verizon. Read the original press release.

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $138.2 billion in 2025. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.

About Liberty Science Center
Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than 280,000 students visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s off- site and online programs. Welcoming more than 800,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest cultural institution in New Jersey and the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.

Media Contact:
Alyssa Forsell
alyssa.forsell@verizon.com