December 22, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
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City Council, NAACP announce $1 million technology grant for three public schools in Jamaica
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Three public schools in southeast
Queens will receive laptops
and tech support under a new initiative
spearheaded by NAACP
New York State Conference President
Hazel Dukes.
On Monday, New York City
Council Speaker Corey Johnson,
along with City Councilman
Daneek Miller and Dukes, announced
a $1 million pilot program
at P.S./I.S. 116, located at 107-25
Wren Place in Jamaica, that will
give students in communities of
color access to laptops and state-ofthe
art learning programs to boost
literacy and math skills.
The first-of-its-kind NAACP
program is named the Hazel Dukes
Education Initiative.
“The NAACP New York State
Conference is dedicated to eliminating
the severe inequities that too
often continue to plague our education
system,” Dukes said. “We are
committed to increasing resource
equity by targeting efforts to assist
students most in need. The funding
provided by Speaker Johnson
to support this program will allow
the NAACP to work directly with
the Department of Education and
ensure our students are provided
the resources they need.”
The Council designated $1 million
Vol. 8 No. 51
City Councilman Daneek Miller (fourth from left) with P.S./I.S. 116 Principal Debra Farrow,
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and NAACP New York State Conference President Hazel Dukes.
in this year’s budget for the
NAACP to purchase more than
1,300 Dell Technology Chrome
notebooks, which will be used in
the schools, and together with KneoWorld
technology-based learning
programs and tech supported platforms
that maximize pupil engagement
and give educators advanced
and powerful tools to help students
succeed. These educational solutions
will engage all learners and
Photo courtesy of Emil Cohen/New York City Council
provide students with new ways to
master concepts and skills.
The four participating schools
include:
• Catherine & Count Basie
Middle School 72 (133-25 Guy R.
Brewer Blvd., Jamaica)
• Richard S. Grossley (J.H.S.
8) (108-35 167th St., Jamaica)
• P.S./I.S. 116 William C.
Hughley (107-25 Wren Place, Jamaica)
• P.S. 1 The Courtlandt School
(Bronx)
“We need 21st century resources
for our 21st century students and
this partnership will make sure that
these Queens and Bronx Schools
will get the technology and support
students need to thrive,” Johnson
said. “We know that we have to do
better and communities of color
have faced obstacle after obstacle
in getting the equity that they need,
and today we’re hoping to right some
of those past wrongs. We can’t afford
to leave any student behind.”
Miller, co-chair of the Black, Latino,
and Asian Caucus, said, “the
effort represents the Council’s commitment
to ensuring that students
of color receive access to cuttingedge,
software-based learning that
prepares them for the job market
and beyond. We are so grateful to
our partners and hopeful that the
Hazel Dukes Education Initiative
and pilot program will continue
with the support of the Council and
expanded over the years.”
City Councilwoman Adrienne
Adams noted the importance of always
looking for opportunities to
provide students in the southeast
Queens community with access to
the technology they need to further
facilitate learning.
“Making sure that our children
are learning with current technology
is essential to ensuring that
they are prepared to compete in the
economy of tomorrow,” Adams said.
“I would like to thank the NAACP
for this generous technology grant
that will be a game-changer for local
students.”
Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed
by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone at
(718) 260–4526.
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