The Kiwanis Club of Wilton recently made a grant of $6,000 to the Wilton Family Y to fund sorely needed upgrades to the equipment in the Y’s computer lab. The lab is used by students in the Afterschool Child Care Program to do homework and project research. The laptops previously in use in the lab were outdated and no longer functioning.
After the Y staff held several consultations with Wilton resident Paul Breitenbach, who has provided technical advice to many local non-profits, a list of equipment needs was drawn up and a grant request sent to the Contributions Committee of Kiwanis. Once the Kiwanis board approved the application, their donation allowed the Y to purchase five iPads with keyboards, one Mac Book Air, four Microsoft Surface tablets with keyboards, a flatscreen TV docking station with Apple TV, Apple Care and an airprint compatible printer. The room was repainted and refurbished with new furniture thanks to help from Peg Koellmer, who donated her time and advice. The new facility will be named the Kiwanis Technology Center.
Y executive director Bob McDowell said, “We are so appreciative of the generosity of the Wilton Kiwanis Club for making such a significant improvement to an important program area that was in need of major upgrading. It is so critical for the Y to offer high quality internet access and up-to-date electronic equipment for homework time as part of afterschool program. Parents rely on the Y to allow students to get schoolwork done while they are here, so families can spend quality time together in the evening. The tablets and iPads we were able to acquire as a result of the grant will make a huge difference in our capability to serve the educational needs of children to a much higher level. We thank both the Kiwanis Contributions Committee and their Board for supporting this initiative.”
The Y’s Afterschool Child Care Program serves almost 100 children from Kindergarten through 7th grade who take the school bus directly to the Y each weekday and can stay until 6:30 p.m.. In addition to homework time, a staff of counselors lead students in a variety of physical fitness activities, recreational swimming, arts and crafts, teambuilding and more. For additional information, visit the Y website www.wiltonymca.org or contact Laura Koellmer at lkoellmer@wiltonymca.org or Geoff Malyszka at gmalyszka@wiltonymca.org.
Pictured above: (left to right) Mairead Kehoe age 11, Hailey Looney age 10, and Alex Klanko age 10. Behind them are: Y Afterschool Director Laura Koellmer, Y Executive Director Bob McDowell, Incoming Kiwanis President Paul Hannah, Kiwanis Contributions Committee Chairman Jerry Holdridge, Y Afterschool Director Geoff Malyszka, Kiwanis President Nancy Pantoliano holding the new recognition plaque for the room, and Y Board President Howard Steinberg.