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Carl
Hudson, Jr., introduced the campaign last May at the beginning of the
Annual Senior Awards Ceremony and Reception by transmitting his message
from a remote location--showing just one of the capabilities this new
technology will bring to the PBL School District.
The Paxton-Buckley-Loda
Education Association has launched a technology fund-raising initiative
called Advantage . . . PBL. The
Foundation's goal is to raise $120,000 to provide technological
components to all levels of PBL's schools.
Cliff McClure, PBL
Superintendent of Schools, states, “This is awesome--the Education
Foundation perceives a need for equipment such as smart boards,
projectors, mobile computer labs, and software that will give our
students at Clara Peterson Elementary, Eastlawn Upper Elementary, PBL
Junior High, and PBL High School a competitive edge.”
Advantage . . . PBL
committee members Todd Coady, Dave Dowling, Carl Hudson, Jr., Dale
Meyer, Cliff McClure, and Theresa Rueck have begun contacting
individuals and businesses for contributions. To date, over $60,000 has been
committed. Seven Promethean smart boards, seven laptops with the requisite software to work with the
boards, and seven projectors have been purchased. The School District purchased one such setup
last summer, and the High School Ag Department has used Career & Tech
Education Grant Funding money to purchase a board that will permanently
be housed in their department.
A core of six to eight
teachers already has some knowledge of how to use the equipment. They
will receive additional training from the Promethean company. That core
group will in turn provide training for all teachers in the district.
Ag teacher Mike White says, “We see the smartboard creating a more
interactive classroom environment. While it will not take the place of
hands-on learning, students will be able to engage in the lessons to a
level that before was not possible. We expect to see student
participation and interest improve.”
Donors are still needed to
reach the Foundation’s goal of $120,000. Any size donation will be
helpful, but contributors who donate either $3,000 as a lump sum or
$1,000 each year over a three-year period will be considered charter
members of the campaign. The $3,000 figure is roughly the cost of one
setup—a smart board, laptop, and projector. Special recognition will be
given to charter members. Each piece of equipment in the setup they
financed will bear their name. Charter members will be invited to a
premiere demonstration of the equipment in January or February of 2008.
The Advantage PBL campaign
is also looking for donors to fund at least two much-needed mobile
computer labs. The mobile labs consist of 20 laptop computers that fit
into a mobile cabinet that teachers can roll into their rooms.
Currently, the PBL staff members have a waiting list to get into the
fully booked computer labs. The cost of one mobile lab is $20,000.
The entire mobile lab and each individual laptop will be identified with
the donor’s name. Think of the exposure you or your company will
receive when students use a lab bearing your name.
The Education Foundation is
a charitable organization, so all contributions are tax-deductible. If
you have any questions about the fund-raising initiative, call one of
the Advantage . . . PBL project committee members:
Todd Coady at 217-386-2512
Carl Hudson at
217-379-4236
Dale Meyer at
217-379-2028
Theresa Rueck at 217-395-2425
To
see a list of Advantage . . . PBL donors, visit
Advantage . .
. PBL Donor Page
Click here for a
Contribution Form to send along with your
donation.
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