Volunteer & Donate: Tech My School

Based in Rio Grande, Tech My School (TMS) was founded as a 501(C)(3) non-profit in the winter of 2021. After the founders of TMS visited several classrooms it became apparent that many schools in Puerto Rico are unprepared to meet the demands of current and future technology needs. Tech My School was founded not only to help provide technology to schools in Puerto Rico, but also to train the teachers on how to use tech to enhance the classroom learning experience. Their mission is “To modernize the education of Puerto Rico by better leveraging technology in schools.” Their vision is, “To retain the talent of Puerto Rico's next generation by empowering them with 21st century skills.” In order to grow a more prosperous Puerto Rico, today's students will need the skills to be competitive on the island and abroad. In order to meet those goals they aim to make sure that every child receives an education that is rigorous and contemporary through their platform. 

A core team of 14 individuals composed of volunteers, former teachers, technology integration specialists, fundraising individuals and various board members make up the Tech My School organization. 

They currently serve four schools: Kingdom Christian Academy in Río Grande, Robertson private school in Luquillo, Foresta Rincón in Rincón, and East Point Academy in Las Piedras.

According to CareerExplorer.com teachers make a median income of just $29,000 a year. Many teachers can’t make a living in Puerto Rico so there is an extreme shortage of qualified teachers. The teachers that are in the classroom have made do without tech over the years so they often don’t have the training to use current technology in the best way possible to enhance the education of their students. TMS volunteer Polly Reavis has been to several schools in Puerto Rico and noticed that they often don’t have access to basics such as books, libraries or even a standard curriculum to follow. 

Tech My School provides in person training on how to use various online curriculum programs. They help formulate a tech road map for each school so that they know how it will impact their students and staff. Teachers are provided an opportunity to learn about teaching programs such as Khan academy, Seesaw and the virtual library program, Epic. 

Khan academy is an online based program with free online courses for students of all grade levels. They have curriculums available for teachers to implement as well as the ability for parents to have access to the information their child is learning. It is a valuable resource because it enables teachers to tailor learning for each child, meaning they can move as fast or as slow as they need to learn new information. 

Seesaw is a learning platform that allows students to share their work with the teacher as well as other students. It helps to increase engagement and interactivity in the classroom. 

Many schools in Puerto Rico lack a physical library and even books in the classroom. Having an online library resource such as Epic allows students access to over 40,000 books and reading material, fostering a love for reading that is so necessary and critical for the future of Puerto Rico’s students.  

Teachers learn how to use sites such as Google for their classrooms. Recently they received a grant for $60,000 towards Google licensing, so that one of the sponsored schools can use products such as Google Workspace for education. 

TMS recently had 50 computers donated which will go to local schools. Stateside partner schools rotate out about 20% of their tech each year. This allows those schools to  pass on their old tech to Puerto Rico based schools. 

Much of their funding comes from donations, Act 60 donations and various other fundraisers.

If you’d like to volunteer for this worthwhile organization they could use help in the following areas: 

- Lawyers to help with CECFL status, contracts, Puerto Rican law, and hiring advice

- CPA's to help with the books, taxes, and other financial matters

- Marketing and media specialists for brand awareness

- Grant writers

- Individuals to help with fundraising efforts

- Event coordinators

- IT professionals who can help consult and lead on infrastructure projects

- Networkers and influencers who can help consult and facilitate the brand

- Volunteers to help with donors

- Website programmers to help with partner school sites

- Administrative leaders who can help with strategic planning

- Curriculum developers and writers

- Educational professionals to help in classrooms

They are also seeking partnerships with other companies, non profits, etc. in order to leverage resources into the hands of teachers and students.

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To donate or volunteer visit their website:

https://www.techmyschool.org/howyoucanhelp

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