2013-2016 Technology Plan - Osceola County School District

The School District of Osceola County, FL
Terry Andrews, Superintendent
Press Release (English and Spanish)
June 7, 2012 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dana Schafer, Director of Community Relations - Osceola School District --
407-870-4007 or 407-908-8811 (cell)
New "Students In Transition" Computer Program To Provide Learning
Resources To Children In Need
Unfortunately in this day and age, students are often the victims of the current economic
conditions. The Osceola School District has identified more than 2,600 “students in
transition,” with projections of another 1,500 students who are unidentified. These are
students who are residing in hotels, motels, campgrounds, cars, parks, emergency or
transitional shelters, or are "doubled up" with friends or awaiting foster care placement.
In addition to the struggles of homelessness and often concerns about hunger, these
students in need lack the additional resources for education most of their classmates
enjoy.
To directly benefit students, the Osceola County School Board has approved a new
"Students in Transition" Computer Program, as developed by Superintendent Terry
Andrews. The district will now repurpose its surplus computers to be given to students
in transition. Students from TECO will assist in testing and refurbishing the computers
for use. These machines will have wireless cards for connection to the internet and
have a free version of Open Office, a basic word processing suite. Most of the hotels
and many of the fast food restaurants have free wi-fi connections that these students
could utilize.
The computers will then be donated to the Foundation for the Kiwanis Club of
Kissimmee, Inc, a local 501(3)c civic organization whose mission is to support children
and education, to assist with the distribution of the computers. This will be done in
partnership with the district's Homeless Education Liaison in Special Programs.
"Repurposing these machines to our students in transition will help to level the playing
field for learning resources in the home," said Superintendent Terry Andrews. "This
program is a win-win for everyone, especially students. Our TECO students will be
helping others less fortunate through their service of working on the computers. It also
involves the community in a greater way through the Kiwanis Club, and, more
importantly, it puts computers in the hands of children who can really benefit from
them."
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2013 Educational Technology Plan 8/8 School District of Osceola County