Cedar Diagnostics, a local medical laboratory services company, recently donated 25 Chromebooks to Montezuma-Cortez High School.
The donation includes a wheeled cart that takes the laptops into classrooms. The cart can be plugged into an outlet so the laptops can be charged at once.
The donation is valued at about $7,500 and will be used in the career pathways department.
Colorado legislation requires every student in Colorado to be on an Individual Career and Academic Plan. Students are enrolled with a career pathway teacher throughout high school, said Ed Rice, career and technical education director at M-CHS.
Cindy Bonitz-Ryan, post-secondary options counselor, said that as part of the pathways class, students are required to complete 18 “milestones” online each year.
“Milestones include things like writing a resume, career-interest survey and completing a job interview,” Rice said.“We really have to have technology that works.”
“We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the local public schools system,” said Brandy Carruth, Cedar’s director of operations. “We see such collaboration as essential for the continued success of our company and community.”
M-CHS senior Chelsea Clark said the Chromebooks will help her check on financial aid applications and college tuition costs.
Rice said the computers will be dedicated to career pathways, a class students have each Wednesday, but teachers can request the computer cart if they tie career pathways into their class. For example, if English teachers are working on resumes, they can ask to use the cart.
Carruth said Cedar was happy to donate the computers.
“Cedar relies on local schools as a source of young, educated talent necessary for the continued growth of our company,” she said.