TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A partnership between two local non-profits gives kids the tools they need to learn and the opportunity for a mentor.
Boys Town helps at-risk youth in Leon County, ages 10 to 18. With school starting soon, Boys Town needed 30 laptops for their kids who are attending Leon Virtual School.
That's when Boys Town director of Development, Margaret Farris, reached out to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend for a little help.
"We decided last minute, last week to go to virtual school versus in-person learning just because of the logistics of having 30 kids on our campus," said Farris. "So immediately had the need for technology. We had the tablets but really needed the laptops because they are so much more conducive to learning."
"So we said, 'Why don't we give you these devices and you can enroll your kids in our program,'" said Alva Striplin, the CEO of BBBS. "That way they can receive a device, they can continue their education and get a mentor out of it. It was a partnership built just like that."
Boy's Town got 10 new laptops and five refurbished ones from Big Brothers Big Sisters, and they say they hope to get the remainder of the laptops through community partnerships.
