By Laura Michell
Home schooling has become a bit easier for a group of Hume students and their families after Melbourne Airport donated 37 laptops to Broadmeadows’ Banksia Gardens Community Services.
The laptops, which were previously Melbourne Airport staff laptops, were factory reset and loaded with a Microsoft license and provided with an active internet connection, before being handed over to Banksia Gardens.
They were then distributed to students in Banksia Garden’s Aiming High program, which supports VCE students in need of tutoring, and its study group.
Melbourne Airport said the donation aimed to reduce the educational barriers the students were facing, such as having one laptop per household or no internet connection at home.
Banksia Gardens education, sustainability and youth development co-ordinator Edgar Caballero said Melbourne Airport’s donation would make a significant difference to the students.
He said the service has been in regular contact with families since COVID-19 began and found that a number of students were having trouble accessing their online learning materials.
“Melbourne Airport’s donation is important in order to support their educational needs and allow online learning to continue,” Mr Caballero said.
