BUNKER HILL, IN- Earlier this summer, Maconaquah School Corporation applied for grant dollars through the Indiana Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund. This week, the school was notified that their application was selected for funding in the amount of $95,000.
The grant, also known as the GEER Grant, focuses on developing and improving remote learning techniques and technologies. The two objectives K-12 applicants could apply for were device availability and connectivity. Only a small percentage of Maconaquah students have shown a need for connectivity assistance. Maconaquah School Corporation, in partnership with the United Way, has given those families with connectivity needs the opportunity to utilize mobile hotspots provided through a separate grant initiative. For this reason, the school decided to focus their GEER Grant application on technologies.
Maconaquah School Corporation will utilize their $95,000 to supply teaching staff with new laptops. This technology will allow teachers better access to updated software and programming that they can use for remote learning as well as in the classroom.
“Our Corporation has been blessed to have been awarded several grants that supply our students with new software and technologies that enhance remote learning,” said Maconaquah Superintendent, Dr. James Callane. “After learning about the focus of the GEER Grant, our administrators saw an opportunity to provide our teaching staff with new laptops, advancing many opportunities for teachers in the realm of remote education. I think we can all agree that this school year has not been ideal thus far, but we are remaining positive and using opportunities such as this to create the best learning opportunities for our students, and that all starts with our teaching staff.”
Callane went on to say that he has been overly impressed with how well his staff has adjusted to all of the new guidelines and regulations, as well as a completely new education system involving teaching in-person students and virtual students almost simultaneously. “We couldn’t ask for better staff here at Maconaquah. We wish we could give them so much more, but for now, we will take every opportunity available to help create the most versatile options for the current situation, and today that means new technologies for our teaching staff.”
