Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Gift of Technology from the Basilian Fathers Ensures Students’ Access to Education

November 30, 2020

A gift of technology from the Basilian Fathers has granted students at a Catholic elementary and junior high school in the Edmonton Catholic School Division access to education during the pandemic.

This year, parents and guardians were faced with choosing between sending their children to school during the pandemic or staying home and participating in the classroom virtually. In some cases, a lack of access to a device was a barrier to choosing online learning. Thanks to a gift of 30 Chromebooks, valued at $11,000, a lack of technology was no longer an obstacle for families at Ben Calf Robe St. Clare Catholic Elementary/Junior High School.

“Many of our families who chose online at home learning these past months for reasons of health and safety did not have an appropriate device for the children to engage with our Google Classrooms and Microsoft Teams. When I asked, ‘Would you need a Chromebook to help with your child’s learning, as our priest and his community have donated some for us?’, I could feel their sense of relief on the phone, that at least one next step along the way is coming with ease,” wrote Suzanne Szojka, principal of Ben Calf, a kindergarten to Grade 9 school that focuses on teaching First Nation children and Cree culture within the Catholic tradition.

The funds were provided by the Congregation of St. Basil’s General Council to the parishes of St. Alphonsus and St. Clare in Edmonton, Alberta to help the poor. Father Glenn McDonald, CSB serves as pastor of the parishes, which is associated with Ben Calf, and the Division Chaplain for the Edmonton Catholic School Division. He is also involved with the Braided Journeys program that connects him with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students. Through these roles, he was aware that many of the school’s families did not have access to a computer and without one had no way to connect to their classrooms virtually.

The Chromebooks were distributed to those in need at the beginning of the school year. The donation arrived in time because due to a rising number of positive cases of Covid-19 in the community and to comply with the province’s measures to prevent further spread of the virus, Ben Calf is moving towards online learning for a greater percentage of its student body.

This gift demonstrates the Basilians’ commitment to their charism of education and ensuring each child has access to education regardless of their financial background.

Related Links

Categories

Discerning, a Vocations Blog
General News
Stirrings
Uncategorized

Two New Basilian Priests Ordained in Tlalpan

The Congregation of St. Basil joyfully celebrated the ordinations of Fr. Julio César Martínez Chávez, CSB and Fr. José de Jesús Rodríguez Pérez, CSB in Tlalpan, Mexico City!     […]

Read More

Basilian Scholastics Gather in Tlalpan

Basilian Scholastics are gathering in Tlalpan, Mexico City for their annual Scholastic Gathering. This year’s theme centers around Christus Vivit (“Christ Is Alive”), Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation to young people […]

Read More

Basilians Welcome Two Novices in Tehuacán, Mexico

Fr. Maurice Restivo, CSB received two novices—Ciro Alfonso Cárdenas Balaguera (Colombia) and Fabien Mwehu Itondo (Mexico)—into the Basilian Novitiate at Casa San Felipe in Tehuacán, Mexico. Please keep Ciro and […]

Read More

Basilians Welcome New Lay Associate

This weekend at St. Basil’s Parish in Toronto, Mark Kua made his formal commitment to the Basilian Lay Associates—choosing to live out his faith through prayer, service, and community alongside […]

Read More

David S. Basil Ordained to the Diaconate

Surrounded by loved ones, fellow Basilians, and the faithful, David S. Basil was ordained to the diaconate at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas—marking a profound step […]

Read More