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Harwood Elementary (Harwood), a public school in Rigby, Idaho, serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. A significant portion of its student population comes from economically disadvantaged families, with approximately 73% qualifying for aid under the NSLA or NSLP food programs.
In 2019, the school's principal led a collaborative effort involving parents, staff, and faculty to transform Harwood into a "Community School. " This model focuses on addressing the needs of the entire community by leveraging the educational system. As a trailblazer for this concept in Idaho, Harwood became one of the first two schools in the state to receive awards and recognition from the Idaho Coalition for Community Schools.
One of the most urgent community needs, identified by Harwood, was an after-school program, which became its inaugural project. However, it quickly became evident that the school district lacked the financial resources to sustain the program. In response, Harwood sought public support-not only in financial contributions but also in volunteer involvement. Rigby Rotary and its members have supported this initiative by providing over $20,000 in donations over the past several years and actively engaging as observers.
The after-school program runs for three hours each day. The first hour is dedicated to helping students with their homework, followed by a second hour focused on special projects, such as robotics, greenhouse activities, music, and arts. The final hour is spent on physical activities, either in the gym or outdoors (weather permitting), and includes dinner service. A substantial number of Harwood students participate in this program, many of whom would otherwise return to an empty home in the afternoons.
Through close collaboration with Harwood's staff, we identified a pressing need for dedicated Apple iPads (iPad) to support the after-school program. Despite the school's impressive resources, it lacks the technology necessary to make full use of these tools. Many of the available resources rely on iPad applications, yet there are currently no iPads allocated for after-school activities. Introducing iPads into the program would greatly enhance Harwood's curriculum by fully leveraging existing tools that have a proven track record of fostering student growth and learning. While purchasing 30 iPads won't completely address this need, it will significantly improve the program's efficiency and effectiveness. Ultimately, this grant will advance the education, health, and safety of vulnerable children while addressing a vital community need.
Harwood's "Community Program" provides many opportunities for individual Rotarians and their spouses to get involved and we already have Rotarians doing so. Rotarians and their families will be available to assist in unloading and configuring the iPads and will also label each one as being a gift from the Rigby Rotary and the Rotary Foundation.
The estimated cost for the 30 iPads is $12,000. Of this, $7,000 has already been pledged or deposited with the Jefferson School District 251 Education Foundation, with all pledges expected to be fulfilled by the first week of July. Upon receipt of the DDF funds we will be able to immediately place an order for the iPads and our goal is to have everything ready by the beginning of the school year. We are requesting a $5,000 Rotary Foundation District Grant to cover the remainder. Rigby Rotary has set aside funds to bridge any gap between the requested grant amount and the awarded grant.
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