The Kiwanis Club of Kanata Stittsville and the Kiwanis Club of Bytown, Ottawa, is doing its part to help students continue their learning during the pandemic. Schools may be closed but the local charity is providing deserving students with a free Chromebook/laptop. What sets this program apart from the efforts of local school boards is the device is not a loaner. The student will be able to keep the computer long after the crisis has passed.
Giving a child a laptop they can keep is a longer-term solution. It will help close the academic and social gap that exists with lower-income families when it comes to owning electronic devices, said a spokesperson for the Kiwanis Club of Bytown Foundation.
The Kiwanis Computers for Kids (KC4K) campaign has already raised close to $13,000 of their $30,000 fundraising goal. Although the fundraising campaign began as a way to meet the immediate needs of local students during the pandemic organizers are hoping this will become a continuous project. Each laptop costs $250.
The local charity is working with both Ottawa English School Boards. Ottawa Catholic School Board Superintendent of Learning Technologies, Geoff Edwards says, “This initiative by our partners in the Kiwanis Clubs will have far-reaching implications for students to help achieve equity and excellence. On behalf of our students, we are grateful for all of their efforts.”
Mr. Edwards has already picked up the first round of donated computers which he hopes to deliver to families in the Sacred Heart/ All Saints community in the coming days.