Albany Students Need Computer Gear For Virtual Learning

Living in today’s world, it’s easy to take so many things for granted. I’ve talked to a lot of people who feel like virtual learning is the best way for their children right now because they don’t feel safe sending them to school. Apparently for some people that decision is not quite so easy. If a child doesn’t have a working computer to use at home, virtual learning it’s basically impossible.

Public school students in the Albany area are learning the best way that they can right now. School leaders have distributed approximately 5000 electronic devices to students, but they still need approximately 2000 more.

According News6, Members of the Albany Fund for Education are asking the community to help fill the void. Mari Shopsis is the Executive Director of the fund. She says that some parents are afraid that their children are not getting the education that they need with virtual learning. She said, “We have kids you can’t take part in their classes because they don’t have enough computers in their household. Sometimes one kid will be on the computer one day, and the other kid will be on the computer the next day, or one kid will watch a video of their class instead of actually being in it.“

This is another area where COVID-19 has exposed educational disparities depending on a family’s economic income. Ms. Shopsis says that her organization is sending out a plea to the community to help bridge the gap. Her organization is asking the community to donate laptops or desktop computers. The computers must be in good working condition and must also be able to connect to the Internet. A functioning WebCam would be a welcomed plus.

If you have a computer that you can donate to a child in need, reach out to the Albany Fund for Education to find out how you can make a donation. We can’t afford to let a whole generation of children miss out on the education that they deserve.

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