Photo courtesy of Virginia & Harvey Kimmel
Thanks to a generous matching gift from Delray Beach residents Harvey and Virginia Kimmel, SouthTech Schools students have new opportunities.
The Kimmels are offering a $100,000 lead gift dedicated toward providing students with technology they need to succeed during the pandemic — and beyond.
The gift, allocated in $25,000 increments as funds are matched, will pay for nearly 350 Chromebooks. SouthTech needs another 650 devices, totaling $188,550, for a one-to-one student to device ratio, according to SouthTech Academy Principal Eileen Turenne.
“The majority of middle school and high school students have been attending class virtually — and many of them are doing it with only a smartphone or an outdated tablet,” Turenne says. “The goal is for us to have a one-to-one ratio of student to device so that each student, whether they’re on campus or learning from a distance, is able to connect to their classrooms with a camera and with the ability to communicate with their teacher and their classmates,” she adds.
The Kimmels believe the type of education provided by SouthTech Schools, which offers students opportunities to develop skills through 11 different career academies, is essential.
Most students graduate from the charter school having already earned industry certifications in their chosen field.
“It’s a critical resource to the community and to the children in the community,” says Harvey Kimmel. “When they graduate, they have something that can help them get a job or start a career. Many go on to community college.”
Turenne is aware of the benefits the laptops and the message behind them will have on her students. “We are incredibly grateful to Virginia and Harvey for their generosity and for their support of our mission. Our students are going to go even farther with the laptops the grant will provide and with the knowledge that someone believes in them and thinks they are worth investing in,” says Turenne.
For more information, call 561-364-7902 or email steven.kozak@pbcharterschools.org.