Standing behind the 50 Chromebooks donated to Fayetteville Technical Community College by the FTCC Foundation are (left to right): Brad Hurley, Vice Chair of the FTCC Foundation Board of Directors; Dr. J. Larry Keen, President of Fayetteville Technical Community College; Dr. Mark Sorrells, FTCC Senior Vice President of Academics and Student Services; and Lauren Arp, Assistant Director of the FTCC Foundation.
The Fayetteville Technical Community College Foundation gave 50 Chromebooks to the College Thursday to boost a loaner laptop program for students.
“FTCC is grateful to the Foundation and its donors for this generous gift,” said College President J. Larry Keen. “These laptops will be loaned to students who are unable to afford this technology, providing them with a key tool they need to achieve their educational goals and adding to the resources the College already provides.”
FTCC began loaning laptops to students after moving most classes online in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At that time, the College had about 20 laptops to loan. It also bought 30 hotspots to loan to students who needed internet access.
In acquiring the 50 Chromebooks, the FTCC Foundation worked with Good360, a charitable organization that helps to source and distribute high-need goods, and Walmart. With approval from its Board, the Foundation purchased the Chromebooks with a portion of the proceeds received at its 2019 Chair’s Gala: Gatsby Casino Night, held last October.
“Our hope is that these Chromebooks will have a great impact on the students who come in contact with them,” said Sandy Ammons, Executive Director of the FTCC Foundation. “With this donation from the Foundation, students who are not able to purchase their own computer will now have a way to further their education and have the proper hardware to do so. Thanks to our donors, we are truly investing in futures.”
Since moving classes online in March, FTCC has also allowed students on campus to use computers and the internet in its Student Learning Center, its Paul H. Thompson Library and some computer labs. All of the locations have operated under strict safety guidelines.
The College also extended WiFi service to the parking lot outside its General Classroom Building for use by students who wished to stay in their vehicles.
