Pratt & Whitney Helps Equip East Hartford Students with Chromebooks

Learning became a whole lot easier for students at East Hartford, Connecticut’s Mayberry Elementary School thanks to a donation by Pratt & Whitney.

The contribution by Pratt & Whitney will enable East Hartford to purchase almost 220 Chromebooks that can be placed into immediate service in Mayberry Elementary School students’ homes. In all, the school system identified 400 students without access to technology for online learning from home — a number equal to the system’s entire Pre-K through grade five student population.

“Our District Learning Plan relies on student access to technology from home, so our principals and school personnel worked diligently to pinpoint the students and families who need a digital device so they can continue their learning,” said East Hartford Public Schools (EHPS) Superintendent Nathan D. Quesnel.

The devices were distributed to families on August 13 by school personnel. Giving back where employees work and live is at the core of the company’s DNA, and is especially appropriate during the company’s 95th anniversary year. The laptops might even spur the next generation of innovators in aviation!

“East Hartford has been home to Pratt & Whitney for 95 years, and among the things our company is doing to help during this pandemic, we wanted to make a positive difference for students and families right here in our front yard by helping these students and their educators,” said Jill Albertelli, senior vice president of Transformation & Strategy, Pratt & Whitney.

This isn’t the first time in 2020 that Pratt & Whitney has helped bridge technology challenges for students. Earlier this year, Pratt & Whitney in Canada teamed up with DXC Technology in donating computers to those who need them most through the “L’école me branche!” campaign in partnership with the Fondation de la Commission scolaire de Montréal.