Saturday, June 14, 2025
The Brookside, Steele, and Meadow Elementary School PTAs hosted a “Ready, Tech, Go!” workshop to support families in navigating screen use and online safety, made possible by $1,500 grants awarded to each school through a national initiative by the National PTA and AT&T.
The funding, awarded in December, was part of a broader effort supporting more than 200 local PTAs nationwide with over $1 million in grants. The initiative, backed by technology companies including TikTok, Google, and YouTube, promotes digital readiness, online safety, mental wellness, and healthy tech habits for students and families.
The Baldwin workshops were held in person and offered parents tools and resources for assessing screen readiness, managing digital environments at home, and guiding children through safe technology use. In total, 75 laptops—25 per school—were donated by AT&T and distributed to families in need, helping to bridge the digital divide.
Childcare was provided onsite by Baldwin High School National Honor Society volunteers, allowing parents to fully participate in hands-on learning sessions. Attendees also received refreshments and tech-themed gift bags.
“As a parent, I’m always looking for ways to support my child’s growth and make the best choices for them,” Brookside PTA President Sendy Jean-Louis said. “Screen readiness and safety is more important than ever now. I feel like this program better prepared me to approach safe use of devices with my 9-year-old.”
Meadow Elementary School’s PTA also hosted a workshop as part of the initiative, where over 150 were in attendance.
“We’re thrilled that Meadow, along with Brookside and Steele, received the $1,500 grant for the Ready Tech Go workshop,” Sophea Sainsurin, Meadow PTA co-president said to the Herald. “On behalf of the Meadow PTA, we’re grateful for the opportunity to support a program that empowers families with practical tools to navigate and manage technology in their daily lives.
“One key takeaway from the workshop was how it helped caregivers feel more confident and informed about setting healthy digital boundaries at home,” she added. “It also fostered important conversations between parents and children about safe and responsible tech use.”
Sainsurin said that the workshop is one of many efforts focused on supporting the school community. PTA Treasurer Kerri Stevens helped coordinate the event at Meadow.
“Every child deserves access to safe and reliable technology that helps them thrive both at home and in the classroom,” Stevens said.
At Meadow, the engagement continued beyond digital literacy. As part of Autism Awareness Month, the school also ran a “Tape the Principal” fundraiser, where students and staff raise money to tape principal Yolanda Martin to the wall. Proceeds will support the Life Skills Playground Project, focused on inclusion and accessibility.
Members of the Brookside PTA involved in organizing the event included Kimberly Nelson, Latoya Duckett, and Danielle Blanchard-St. Louime. Steele PTA President Yinka Adegbenle applied for the grant earlier in the year.
