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.
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 WalMart stores have committed an additional $3,300 for the cause.
Education Foundation CEO James Gavrilos said 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,” he said. “Palm Beach County is a special place, and our community wants every child to have the opportunity for a world-class education.”
The foundation has now set up a text-to-donate option, for those interested. Text DEVICEDRIVE to 41444, to submit a donation easily from your cell phone.
Donations can also be made online at www.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 this approved list:
• Dell Chromebook (4G memory/32G hard drive min).
• Dell Windows Desktop/Laptop (4G memory/128G hard drive min).
• Microsoft Surface Pro (4G memory/128G hard drive min).
• Apple Laptop (2013 or later with 4G/256G drive min).
• Apple iPad (5th generation or higher, 32G and above).
For more information, call Gavrilos at (561) 306-7762.
