BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — BocaNewsNow.com is thrilled to be among those organizations that donated enough money for the Palm Beach County School District to purchase a Chromebook for an underprivileged student. Kids need Chromebooks — or similar — at home starting next Tuesday to be able to take part in the virtual learning to be offered by the school district.
From the Palm Beach County School District:
The call went out on March 20, asking the community to help students in need of digital devices to transition to distance learning. In just 48 hours, Palm Beach County answered the call to action.
Nearly $22,000 has already been donated to the Device Drive, spearheaded by the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County. In addition to the donations from individuals, local Wal-Mart stores have committed an additional $3,300 for the cause.
Education Foundation CEO James Gavrilos says he has also been contacted by major foundations in the area about setting up grants to further support the efforts. This monetary support is in addition to the donations of gently-used devices being donated by the public at Office Depot stores across the county.
“We are still in the initial stage of this effort, but the response has been overwhelming,” Gavrilos said. “Palm Beach County is a special place, and our community wants every child to have the opportunity for a world-class education. Yes, these are trying times, but when our backs are up against the wall, we show our true character.”
The Education Foundation has now set up a text-to-donate option, for those interested in helping. Text DEVICEDRIVE to 41444, to submit a donation easily from your cell phone.
Donations can also be made online at EducationFoundationPBC.org or by check earmarked for “Device Drive” mailed to the Education Foundation, 505 S. Congress Ave, Boynton Beach, FL 33426. A $275 donation will cover the cost of one device for a student.
Gently-used devices can be donated at any Palm Beach County Office Depot location. The public is asked to only donate devices that are on the approved list, indicated below:
* Dell Chromebook (4G memory/32 G hard drive minimum).* Dell Windows Desktop/Laptop (4G memory/128G hard drive minimum).* Microsoft Surface Pro (4G memory/128 G hard drive minimum).)* Apple Laptop (2013 or later with 4G/256G drive minimum).* iPad (5th generation or higher, 32G and above).
For more information on the Education Foundation’s Device Drive, contact James Gavrilos at (561) 306-7762.
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