Rogue Valley Adventist School (RVAS) places a great deal of emphasis on computer education, including keeping technology current. Last year the CPUs were updated and the number of workstations was increased so no student has to share.
With the new CPUs in place, the next step was to upgrade monitors. With 28 monitors to buy, fundraising became very important. Michelle Wachter, technology coordinator, has worked hard to organize fundraising efforts and sponsorships. Papa John’s Pizza supplied 400 sheets of coupons, including one free pizza coupon on each, for just 50 cents each. The school, in turn, sells them for $5. The school's Harvest Festival kicked off the coupon drive, and already funds have been raised for five monitors.
Wachter and Cynthia Ward, RVAS secretary, have also solicited local businesses, which have donated monitors or supplied monitors at a discounted price.
As more monitors are sponsored or funds are raised to buy new monitors, the old monitors are replaced. Larger, newer monitors make all the difference to the students. Every student, from kindergarten through 10th grade, has computer classes, so all are able to benefit from using the new monitors.
RVAS has a sponsor’s page on the school Web site. All businesses who contribute funds, sponsor fundraising endeavors, or discount prices for products or services are listed. Not only is the sponsor’s page a way for RVAS to show appreciation for the contributions, it is also an opportunity to build relationships within the community.
Michelle Wachter, RVAS technology coordinator, works with Zachary Alcantara on one of the new computer workstations.
The new monitors make it easier for these first- and second-grade students to use the computers.
