Orthopedic surgeon donates Chromebooks to First State Community Action Agency

When schools moved to remote learning and libraries closed, First State Community Action Agency Learning PODs supported families across Sussex County as parents tried to navigate and balance virtual and in-person learning. Households with school-aged children experienced school closure, and many did not have the tools needed for distance learning.

To help these children, orthopedic surgeon Wilson Choy, MD, of Premier Orthopedic Bone & Joint Care in Milford generously donated 11 Hewlett-Packard Chromebooks to First State’s Learning POD students so they could continue their education with distance learning as COVID-19 widened the digital divide.     

“You guys are doing some really hard work that was so impressive, I want to make a contribution to your efforts,” said Choy. 

“It’s times like these when community comes together to take action,” said First State Executive Director Bernice Edwards. “Not all families have access to technology, and many reside in internet deserts with little to no connectivity. Combined with access to our Learning PODs and these Chromebooks, this gives our youth a chance to participate in online learning, meet their educational needs and advance academically during these unprecedented times.” 

“We knew that COVID-19 was bringing about some difficulty in our children’s education, and so we had to take great strides and attempts to flatten the learning curve,” said First State Program Director Dr. Sandi Hagans- Morris. “These devices will help us to help our students reengage and reconnect to learning virtually, and make learning during the COVID-19 pandemic a bit easier.” 

The learning PODS were funded by United Way of Delaware/Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative.