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INDIANAPOLIS — A local real estate company is helping hundreds of area students who haven't been able to access their e-learning work in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that has closed area schools through at least May 1.
Around 900 students attend Victory College Prep on Indy's southeast side. The principal told RTV6 approximately one-third of students don't have the tablets or laptops they need to get their e-learning work done. It's not the only need for the students.
"I know this is really hard for educators across the city," Chelsea Easter, principal at Victory College Prep, said. "I know that we are hurting because we want to make sure we can make the rest of the school year as meaningful as possible."
Victory College Prep is a K-12 charter school with students from all over the city of Indianapolis.
"A lot of our kids are coming to us with academic deficits," Easter said. "We work hard to make sure we can close that gap for them and this is really causing challenges to that."
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The biggest concern is students falling behind. Right now, they are in need of around 300 laptops or tablets for students to access their work.
"Any tablet that can access the internet and we can download the Schoology app and any laptop as long as it connects to the internet, that's the biggest need we have," Easter said.
It's not the only need.
Every Monday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., they pass out five meals for breakfast and five meals for lunch to students. Right now, they need donations to provide dinner as well.
"We are looking for any items that a 15-year-old with a microwave can make," Easter said.
That's where Fishers-based Evelo Team - Keller Williams Realty is stepping in. Easter is one of their clients and after finding out about these needs, they put the call out to employees and the community and started accepting donations and shopping for food.
"We need to figure out how to feed these kids at night time and feed their families and really just getting those laptops and tablets together," Hannah Perkey, CEO at Evelo Team - Keller Williams Realty, said. "It's a simple ask I think we can come together as a community to reach that goal."
"It's really hard to make sure you can focus on your academics when you're worried about your health or your siblings or will there be dinner today or tomorrow," Easter said. "And for the majority of our kids that is reality."
To donate food or laptops to Victory College Prep, you can reach out to Ryan Gall, executive director, at 317-270-7228 or Chelsea Easter, principal, at 937-329-1485.