SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – A generous donation to a Walton County school left students with new technology for coursework.
The St. Joe Community Foundation gave Seacoast Collegiate High School $46,000 for the One Device for Life program.
“Our foundation believes it’s heavily in education and puts most of our funding towards education and anything we can provide to give students more give them more accessibility to technology. We’re going to do it,” said April Wilkes, St Joe Foundation Executive Director.
The school decided to buy new Google Chromebooks for students with the money.
Each student can use the laptops for school work and keep them when they graduate.
“Most of them use the phone, you know, or pen and paper, you know, writing things by hand. So our computers are way faster, better for taking notes, you know, or doing projects. It’s great,” said Melanie Sabillon, 11th grader.
With the school being dedicated to dual enrollment and college credit, students say the gift is a big help for the future.
“It’s one less thing that we need to worry about. You know, I don’t have to go out and spend $1,000 on a Macbook or like, ask my mom for money, you know? So it’s like there and I get to use it and not worry about it,” said Sabillon.
The St Joe Foundation supports Seacoast Collegiate High School in many ways by sponsoring their annual race and putting money towards their new $ 30 million campus buildings.
“We’ve funded recently some e-sports equipment and some fish from their fishing club, um, fishing club fees and things of that sort. I have a pretty good relationship with all the school schools and the district and Walton and Bay. So if they need something, they know who to call,” said Wilkes.
The students picked up their new computers at the monthly lunch on the coast school social on Oct. 25.
Those who did not get them can pick them up on campus this week or at Northwest Florida State College.
