Corning Incorporated announced today, as part of its COVID-19 response efforts, $180,000 in grants to regional school districts to support connectivity solutions, including the purchase of technology equipment and resources for students in virtual learning environments.
Corning Enterprises has awarded six grants, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 based on student population, to Southern Tier school districts: Corning-Painted Post, Horseheads, Elmira, Addison, Watkins Glen, and Campbell-Savona.
“The grants represent Corning’s unwavering commitment to ensuring our local school districts have the support and resources needed to overcome the numerous challenges with ensuring as many students as possible are connected to their virtual learning environments,” said Christine Sharkey, president, Community Engagement and Corning Enterprises. “Corning is pleased to step up as educators have stepped up to help our employees’ and community’s children grow and succeed during this pandemic.”
“Our students need equal access to their education more than ever. In today’s world, that often means technology as the way to access academic instruction. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly shifted our educational tech landscape, revealing challenges and the growing needs for support,” said Hillary J. Austin, superintendent, Elmira City School District. “We are so pleased to receive this grant from Corning Enterprises to help fund important resources needed in the area of technology for our families.”
“We are very grateful for the generous gift from Corning Enterprises. This donation will support our remote learning program and will have a positive impact on over 300 of our students and families,” said Michelle Caulfield, superintendent, Corning Painted-Post School District. “Our community partners truly make a difference for our Hawk Nation.”
“We are so grateful for this generous and timely donation from Corning as we continue to navigate this mode of instructional delivery. We use a vast amount of technology in our classrooms, and as our “classrooms” have widened to include homes, student access to reliable internet and hardware is critical to their success,” said Dr. Thomas J. Douglas, superintendent, Horseheads Central School District. “This grant will be used to ensure our families have access to WiFi and the necessary technology for remote learning, and the impact of this generous donation will be felt by our students immediately.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Corning’s highest priority has and continues to be ensuring the safety of our employees and workplaces, as well as supporting our communities through the company’s Unity Response Campaign. For additional information on Corning’s multi-pronged response approach, please visit our COVID-19 Response site.