News
January 21, 2021GlobalFoundries Partners with Acer, the Gateway Foundation and AMD to Donate 100 Chromebooks to Capital Region BOCES for Area Students
GLOBALFOUNDRIES® (GF®) announced today it has partnered with Acer, the Gateway Foundation and AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) to make a donation of 100 new Chromebooks to Capital Region BOCES for use by students and teachers in area schools.
“We are excited to partner with Acer, the Gateway Foundation and AMD to put learning in the hands of those who need it the most. Our companies’ collaboration on this effort helps increase access to critical technology needed for virtual learning, a need that is still essential in many areas of our region,” said Ron Sampson, SVP Manufacturing Operations, GlobalFoundries. “As the pandemic continues, we see now more than ever the vital role technology plays in learning.”
The donated Chromebooks will provide needed technological tools that are in great demand during the pandemic and will be used for online learning. This will help alleviate the cost of purchasing such materials for local students and teachers, thus reducing the barriers to learning during these unique and challenging times.
“This is a tremendous gift of resources, and we couldn’t be more grateful for this support from GLOBALFOUNDRIES and their generous partners,” said Capital Region BOCES Senior Executive Officer Joseph P. Dragone, Ph.D. “The real winners are our students who now have one to one access to devices to fuel their learning in school or at home.”
Most of the devices went to special education students enrolled at BOCES’ Airline Drive Academy and Maywood School. Some also went to BOCES students enrolled in special education programming in the Guilderland, Scotia-Glenville and Niskayuna school districts.
“With health and safety protocols in place, we have seen the need to shift from in-person to remote learning–sometimes overnight,” said Capital Region BOCES Director of Special Education Caralee Kardash. “These devices will allow students to access their classrooms, teachers, peers, and related supports from home. In school, students are taught how to use the devices, educational apps, and learning systems so that they can build relevant skills and independence.”
“As students nationwide have been forced to make the quick transition to virtual learning, it’s absolutely critical that they have access to mobile computing devices,” said Jennifer Wadland, Vice President of Commercial Sales for Acer America. “We are pleased to partner with the Gateway Foundation, AMD and GlobalFoundries to provide Acer Chromebooks to students in need, giving them the tools they need to connect and learn.”
The Gateway Foundation invests in local communities by making leading technology products available to those with limited access to computers. These efforts are primarily in the form of grants requests for computers and other technology products sought by organizations aiming to connect the power of technology to underserved youth and others aided by the organization’s mission and services.
“AMD is proud to team up with Acer, the Gateway Foundation and GLOBALFOUNDRIES to bring the fast and responsive computing power of AMD processors to students, setting them up for success while learning remotely,” said Saeid Moshkelani, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Client Business Unit, AMD. “This donation of AMD-powered Chromebooks for students is the latest example of AMD working with our partners to help put technology into the hands of those in our communities who need it most.”
