By Steve Oldfield
Children, Inc.
Kelly Elementary School in Burlington is getting an internet hotspot shelter on their playground for kids who don’t have wi-fi at home.
Teachers saw kids huddled up against the school building after school so they could access the internet to do their homework, they enlisted some help to solve the problem.
Getting started (Photos provided)
Enter Duke Energy workers from the East Bend Station, teaming up with volunteers from The Imagineering Academy and Belleview Baptist Church, and students now have a shelter on the playground where they can get after-school wi-fi access.
“It’s heartbreaking to know the students can’t get the wi-fi they need,” said teacher Glenda Raney. “They’re huddled up against the school trying to get that, so now they will have access and they can get their homework assignments in on time
“All of those who came out to volunteer were really an amazing team.”
Nick Sellet of Duke Energy East Bend Station was one of the volunteers.
“We heard Kelly Elementary had some kids leaning up against the building trying to get internet access to do homework,” Sellet said. “Things like that that are essential to what they’re doing every day.”
The new hotspot will be ready for students by the end of August.
Imagineering Academy teacher Don Black and Kelly teacher Tammy Pidgeon.
The volunteers
