Supporting Equity, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning in Howard County Public Schools
Supporting Equity, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning in Howard County Public Schools
On Saturday December 10, 2011, Bright Minds Foundation continued its campaign to Bridge the Digital Divide for students in Howard County public schools by holding a workshop in partnership with the GANTECH Inc technology company of Columbia, MD and with Capital One Bank. At this event, twenty-four families from three local middle schools received computer technology to take home along with many other items, including lanyards, laptop cases, and mouse pads.
The workshop was held at the GANTECH offices, and provided an incredible setting for the event. GANTECH staff led by Mia Millette worked on the laptops in advance to upgrade them and configure them usefully for the students, with the assistance of community volunteer Don Umberger. GANTECH also provided associate project manager Monica Ryan to help organize everything in advance as well as on the day of the workshop. Training was held in two sessions; after an introduction and welcome by Bright Minds Board Chair Brian Hubbard, families learned how to use their laptops, new printers, and flash drives in the technology session, and also received a presentation from John Jewitt of Howard County Library about available online services.
After a refreshment break, families switched to a Financial Literacy training session conducted by Capital One branch managers. We worked with Cassandra Compton and Scott Steele to plan and develop this very welcome addition to our campaign. The pictures show that the families were exceptionally engaged in the presentation, and welcomed the one on one discussions they had with the branch managers. Many thanks to Capital One branch managers: David Hufnagel, Patricia Delvalle, Sharol Bautista, Alicia Castillo-Vigo, Lalchan Ramcharan, Wendy Paucar, and Yolanda Sutton-Miller.
Many volunteers came together to make this event a success. We thank all the GANTECH employees who attended to help, checking in families, volunteers and guests, and fielding questions and issues. Many thanks also to Mary Brzezinski who came with twelve Atholton HS students who are members of the Future Educators of America to do whatever jobs needed to be done, including mentoring, packing and entertaining young siblings. Special thanks to our friend Ethan, who came over with his parents to donate money from his piggy bank to Bright Minds so that we can continue our program.
Thanks also to Ellen Flynn Giles and Sandra French from the Board of Education and Diane Martin and Cassandra Miller from the HCPSS who came to lend their support, and Bright Minds Board members Brian Hubbard, Bill Gray, Stacie Hunt and Steve Porter. Also to Lisa Olivieri and Melissa Helicke for stopping by.
To view a slide show of the event, click here. Included in the slide show is a photo of Capital One giving Bright Minds Foundation a $10,000 check toward our campaign, which will also help us to provide another workshop in the spring. Note: Photography services were generously donated by Mark Gregory of Gregory Fine Portraits in Clarksville MD.)
Great News! On Thursday October 13, 2011, GANTECH Corporation held its Seventh Annual Partners in Technology Charity Golf Tournament, with proceeds to benefit the Bright Minds Foundation. We were selected as the designated charity this year, because Mia Millette, who is the VP of Operations at GANTECH, recently joined the Board of the Bright Minds Foundation.
We are excited to report that at the end of the day, the amount raised and presented to Bright Minds totaled $5000! Thank you to GANTECH for selecting us and thanks to all who participated in the tournament!
The picture shows, left to right: Eric Nass, Bright Minds Board Member, Pat Sasse, Bright Minds Executive Director, Brian Hubbard, Bright Minds Board President, Mia Millette, Bright Minds Board Member and Vice President of Strategic Operations at GANTECH, Thomas Laskowski, President, GANTECH.
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