$100,000 Grant Kicks off Campaign for Chromebooks

POTTSTOWN, May 15—UPDATE: Following the announcement of a $50,000 gift via the Hill School last week, members of the community have come together to support the Foundation for Pottstown Education’s fund drive. As of May 15, 39 donors have contributed toward the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation’s matching challenge with pledges and donations.

So far, $63,295 has been donated to the Chromebook Challenge. With matching funds from PAHWF, that brings the total raised so far to $126,590—more than a third of the way toward the Foundation for Pottstown Education’s ultimate goal of $350,000.

POTTSTOWN, May 6—With the announcement of a $100,000 matching grant, The Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation and the Foundation for Pottstown Education are providing a way for the community to help students in the borough continue their education during the coronavirus pandemic.

Online instruction is already underway in the Pottstown School District, and approximately 25% of students do not have the equipment necessary to continue their education effectively. To meet the urgent need, the Foundation for Pottstown Education is leading the effort to provide a Chromebook to every family in the borough without access to a home computer. 

“The level of educational attainment is increasingly being recognized as an important social determinant of health, said Dave Kraybill, Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation president. “The deep connections students have with their teachers and their peers are key to their future and vital to their well-being.”

For every dollar donated, the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation will provide matching funds up to $100,000 and amplify the generosity of individual community donors. To contribute, visit foundationpottstowned.org/donate/ or send checks to 230 Beech Street, Pottstown, Pa. Every $350 donated provides a student with a Chromebook and continued access to education. Contributions of any size are welcome.

“Most of us are aware of the inequality of the state’s educational funding and the impact that this has on the Pottstown School District, but now the impact is more prevalent,” said Joe Rusiewicz, executive director of the Foundation for Pottstown Education. “Our goal with this campaign is to raise funds to provide 1,000 Chromebooks for the students in our district. With this generous matching pledge from PAHWF, we can meet this goal twice as fast, and we will be able to help level the educational playing field for the students of the Pottstown School District.”