Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

---

Organization Name: Boca Raton Community Middle School PTSA
Legal Name (if Different): PTA Florida Congress
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 1251 NW 8th St
City: Boca Raton
State: Florida
Postal Code: 33486
Main Phone: 561-356-5903
Main Fax:
Organization Website: https://brcms.memberhub.com/
Employer ID Number: 65-1043293
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

---

Today’s Date: March 29, 2024
Requested Amount: $9,000

Project Title: Laptops for Middle School Students in Need
Project Description:

We respectfully request your consideration of a grant of $9,000 to purchase 25 Chromebooks for students in need at Boca Raton Community Middle School. These laptops will ensure that every child, regardless of their family’s financial means, has access to the educational tools they need to succeed in our classrooms every day.

Laptops have been a required part of educational instruction for every student in Palm Beach County since 2020. Daily use has resulted in substantial wear and tear; over the past four years, our inventory has been repaired many times and machines are now breaking down faster. Though the School District does repair and replace laptops, the waitlist is long in our district of 190 schools. This leaves students without the devices they need to fully participate in lessons, access supplementary materials, and take tests.

This challenge impacts students from economically disadvantaged families — 66% of our student body — the most. When their school-issued laptops malfunction, their families may not have a back-up laptop or computer they can use. These students are also more likely to have greater achievement gaps since the pandemic; lack of functional laptops during classroom instruction contributes to their ongoing struggle to catch up.

Funding from the Hermanowski Foundation will be directed to purchase 25 new Chromebooks, which will be used as back-ups for students with an immediate need. Teachers will keep laptops locked in their classrooms and provide them to students on an as-needed basis, to return at the end of class. This system ensures that students have access to the materials they need in class while reducing laptop wear and tear. This approach also increases access for more students; a different student may use a classroom’s laptop during every period, rather than one student carrying the laptop with them for the day.

Total Project Budget: $54,000

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): We are at the beginning of our efforts to raise community support for this initiative, and have pending requests with Soroptimists Int’l Deerfield Beach/Boca Raton, the Walter & Adi Blum Foundation, the Einstein Fund, the Palm Beach Flagler Rotary Foundation, and the City of Boca Raton.

Project Duration: Our goal is to purchase a total of 150 laptops at a cost of $360 each, enough to provide two per classroom, by August 2025. We anticipate that laptops will last five years (each comes with a five year warranty) and serve a student body of 1,225 each year.
Geographical Area Served: Boca Raton
Age Group To Be Served: Ages 11-14 (grades 6-8)

Contact Information

---

Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Ms.
Contact First Name: Stefania
Contact Last Name: Papoulis
Contact Title: President
Contact Phone: 561-356-5903
Contact Email: stefpapoulis@icloud.com