With the extension of the statewide Safer at Home order, school buildings will remain closed for the duration of the 2019-20 school year, leaving students and teachers to continue navigating online learning and teaching.

The shift to online education has been especially difficult for families in rural areas who may not have adequate internet access and for those who cannot afford the cost of connectivity.

A local retiree recently donated $10,000 to the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation with an eye on supporting internet access and connectivity costs for Eau Claire Area School District (ECASD) students and teachers who are managing education from home.

Katie Dewitz, who is also a first-generation college graduate, saw the change in the educational model and wanted to help.

“I am motivated to help kids from lower-income families because I know that a good education is vital, not just in one's career but also in one's being an informed citizen,” Dewitz said. “Concerned that the distance learning required by the pandemic may not be available to students in have-not families, I decided to try to do something about it.”

Dewitz’s gift will support internet access and connectivity costs for ECASD students, families, and teachers.

To learn more, or to make a gift to the Districtwide Greatest Needs Fund, visit www.ecpsfound.org. For information about making a gift through an IRA rollover or gift of stock, please contact Executive Director Sarah French at 715-852-3015 or sfrench1@ecasd.us.

Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation is a nonprofit, independent organization that connects the community and the Eau Claire Area School District to inspire and enhance the educational experience of students. Through charitable donations from community members and businesses, ECPSF assists schools with their greatest needs, supports educator creativity, and raises endowment funds to enable future foundation giving.