A Gift For Teaching distributes kits to support distance learning

Students in need can continue their education at home despite lack of digital device and internet access.

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Teachers have been preparing new daily lessons, online and offline, to be delivered to their students for distance digital learning, but they've shared one consistent concern with A Gift For Teaching. Many of their students will not have any school supplies at home to complete these assignments.

Low-income families are being forced to choose between rent, food and childcare due to school closures — and now they must add school supplies to the list so children can continue learning at home.

In Orange County, students in middle and high school already have been issued digital learning devices earlier this year as a part of the school district’s ongoing LaunchED 1:1 digital learning plan. The program, however, has not yet reached all students in elementary schools.

The digital learning plan also does not fully address internet access for families unable to afford at-home connectivity.

A Gift For Teaching is strategically working with Orange County Public Schools’ homeless liaison director in addition to community impact partners and has already begun filling this gap.

So far, nearly 2,000 at-home family learning kits have been distributed to 11 elementary schools serving as “Grab-and-Go" food locations for students in need. One kit is available per family and includes enough learning supplies for multiple children in a household to be able to actively and successfully participate in their education at home, whether online or offline. Supplies include pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, notebooks, workbooks and crayons.

To meet the continuing unexpected influx of need, donations can be made to A Gift For Teaching at AGiftForTeaching.org/double. For every $1 received, up to $5,000, Addition Financial will double the donation to provide up to $20 worth of supplies to those in need.

Businesses also can help by donating bulk in-kind surplus materials such as notebooks, writing pads, printer paper/cardstock, writing utensils, index cards, folders and coloring materials. Donors can contact [email protected] for delivery details.

A Gift For Teaching is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and a provider of free school supplies to teachers for their students in need.

 

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Amy Quesinberry

Community Editor Amy Quesinberry was born at the old West Orange Memorial Hospital and raised in Winter Garden. Aside from earning her journalism degree from the University of Georgia, she hasn’t strayed too far from her hometown and her three-mile bubble. She grew up reading The Winter Garden Times and knew in the eighth grade she wanted to write for her community newspaper. She has been part of the writing and editing team since 1990.