Members of the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) including Board Members Leo Karl III, Sheila Pettee, and NCCF President & CEO, Lauren Patterson joined Shepherds Executive Director, Dan McAuliffe and student liaison, Lisa Matson at Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport on April 21st to see students demonstrate their prowess with HP Google Chromebooks. Bridgeport-based Shepherds, which provides educational opportunities to underserved students in Connecticut, received a $5,000 grant from the foundation to provide 25 students with the Chromebooks a few months ago. Students now have reliable access to the Internet at home and school for assignments, communication with teachers, research projects and access to online textbooks. A staple of high-performing school districts in Connecticut, the investment in these Chromebooks “represents a small investment with enormous benefits,” according to Mr. McAuliffe. He continues, “It allows our students to close the achievement gap between the low-performing districts we serve and the wealthy suburbs that surround them.” Ms. Patterson added, “New Canaan Community Foundation is proud to help our community of donors give to causes they care about. With this investment in Shepherds, we were so pleased to help all our kids have access to great learning resources.”

Shepherds is looking for new mentors, donors and sponsors for incoming high school students in the greater New Haven & Bridgeport area. To learn how you can help change a student’s life, please visit www.shepherdsmentors.org today or call us at (203) 367- 4273. For more information about the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF), visit http://www.newcanaancf.org/.