Students get education connection

District One pupils to receive internet hot spots for online learning

Yuma School District One has procured and distributed up to 500 internet hot spots to students in need of reliable connectivity while participating in distance learning. According to a news release from the district, the hot spots are expanding service to some of Yuma’s more rural areas that have slower or no internet connectivity, as well as to households that have no internet service whatsoever.

“With every District One student learning remotely at this time, ensuring all students have access to internet service is essential to providing an equitable learning environment for all,” the district said.

According to the district, the hot spots were obtained largely through the efforts of Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Duane Sheppard and the Yuma Education Technology Consortium – an umbrella collaboration between District One, Yuma Union High School District, Arizona Western College and Northern Arizona University-Yuma to pool and share educational resources.

In the weeks leading up to the return to learning, District One schools communicated with their enrolled families to gauge the need for these hot spot devices which, according to the district, became available to families Aug. 10, one week after the district remotely began the 2020-2021 school year.

“District One is proud that our schools provide many essential services to students,” Sheppard said. “Our primary purpose remains to provide an engaging and rigorous education. In this era of remote learning, having reliable internet access is a key component to a student’s success.”

According to the district’s communications and community relations coordinator Christine McCoy, principals have received positive feedback on the hot spots from families utilizing them.

“Our principals say that the parents’ reactions have been very grateful and happy to receive these devices,” she said. “Also, in following up, the devices are working well, and the students are participating in the online classes.”

“District One is proud that our schools provide many essential services to students. Our primary purpose remains to provide an engaging and rigorous education. In this era of remote learning, having reliable internet access is a key component to a student’s success.”

Duane Sheppard, Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in Yuma School District One