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McWillie Elementary PTA Receives Corporate and Grant Funding for Virtual Learning Devices
November 17, 2020
McWillie Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi was awarded a grant in the amount of $5,000.00 through the National PTA COVID-19 Community Relief Grant. |
The National PTA distributed $1.25 million in COVID relief funds to over 150 local and District/County/Regional PTAs across the country. McWillie Elementary School in JPS was awarded a grant in the amount of $5,000 through the National PTA COVID-19 Community Relief Grant, sponsored by TikTok for the purchase of digital devices to aid in distance learning. Corporate sponsor, Elite Energy Resources, LLC, donated an additional $2,000 towards the purchase of computers, which allowed the PTA to spend approximately $7,000 on virtual learning devices.
The grant is intended to allow McWillie PTA to help meet the pressing needs of the school community during the COVID-19 pandemic. McWillie PTA was a Phase I recipient of the National PTA grant, however, due to national laptop shortages in August and September, the PTA was previously unable to place a bulk order for laptops. In October, the PTA purchased a total of 18 laptops with 14-inch screens, Intel® Core™ i5, 8GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, running on Windows® 10 Pro thanks to a partnership with Office Depot, Inc. The PTA is still accepting contributions from the community for the purchase of mobile hotspots to help students and teachers with connectivity and internet access issues to bridge the virtual learning gap. The newly acquired laptops will be donated to the school and distributed according to Jackson Public School District criteria.
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.
Elite Energy is an oil and gas investment firm owned by local Patrick McKee who grew up in the Jackson Metro area. This consulting firm partners with mineral owners and companies to optimize the return on their oil and gas investments.
McWillie Elementary School serves over 400 students and is the only school within the Jackson Public School District that offers the Montessori curriculum. McWillie serves students in pre-K and Montessori. The goal of Montessori education is to encourage independence, love of learning, and a positive sense of self in a prepared environment that aligns with the state's objectives and Common Core Standards. They strive to meet the diverse needs of our students while instilling in them the importance to become life-long learners and community and world conscious individuals in the 21st century. As a result, McWillie graduates embody the school's efforts to promote community, inquiry, independence, integrity, and imagination. The National PTA has recognized McWillie Elementary and McWillie PTA as a National PTA School of Excellence for their achievement in building effective family-school partnerships. Being recognized as a National PTA School of Excellence demonstrates McWillie and McWillie PTA’s leadership and commitment to supporting student success and continuous school improvement.