Rock Island, Ill. – The Ascentra Credit Union Foundation provided a grant of $11,745 for the purchase of 75 Chromebooks that were used during Spring Forward’s Summer Enrichment Camps for children entering kindergarten through 7th grade at Frances Willard, Rock Island Academy, Earl Hansen, Longfellow, Center for Math and Science, and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools in Rock Island.
The Chromebooks were also used at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center (MLKCC) to support literacy instruction at their camp. More than 450 students were enrolled in camps and another 300 participated in Stepping Up for Summer Learning, a celebration of National Summer Learning Day.
“I look at it as one of those gifts to bridge the opportunity gap. Having those tools like the Chromebook helps level the playing field when it comes to learning,” says Dan McNeil, Spring Forward Director. “The intent was to have them for the summer, but knew we can use them for our after school programs, this year and beyond.”
The Chromebooks allow the camps to incorporate Skills Navigator, a technology application used by the Rock Island-Milan School District to help pinpoint discrete skill gaps to focus instruction and close achievement gaps.
They are currently being used at after schools programs and may even be used at some sites for their family literacy programs for adult learners, making a bigger impact.
“It is an honor for us to help provide Spring Forward with this technology and see how Spring Forward is using them as tools to help learners beyond the summer camps,” says Jennifer Naeve, Chief Marketing Officer of Ascentra Credit Union. “This technology allows the instruction at these camps and after school programs to align with the Rock Island-Milan school district curriculum which ensures continued learning and success for each child.”
For more information about the Ascentra Credit Union Foundation please visit ascentra.org/foundation.
About The Ascentra Credit Union Foundation:
Established in 2013, the Ascentra Credit Union Foundation was created to honor the memory of Ascentra Credit Union President & CEO Paul Lensmeyer and to meet the charitable and educational objectives of the Board of Directors of the credit union. The mission of the Ascentra Credit Union Foundation is to improve the quality of life for the membership of Ascentra Credit Union and further the philanthropic outreach in the communities the credit union serves. The focus of the foundation is on funding work to enhance youth development, expand credit education opportunities, foster community development, support cultural activities, and invest in ways to enhance the financial viability of the underserved. More information can be found at ascentra.org/foundation.
About Ascentra:
Founded in 1950, Ascentra Credit Union, is Iowa's premier credit union with more than $414 million in assets and 10 branches serving the communities of Bettendorf, Clinton, Davenport, Le Claire, Muscatine, Iowa and Moline, Ill. Learn more about Ascentra Credit Union at ascentra.org. Follow Ascentra on Facebook, YouTube, on Twitter @ascentra, and on Instagram @ascentracu
