GMC News
GMC donates computers to under-privileged youth in Harrisburg
Georgia Military College donates computers to under-privileged youth in Harrisburg
Collins P. Lee Harrisburg Community Center – Milledgeville, Georgia
Georgia Military College’s (GMC) mission is to produce educated citizens and contributing members of society in an environment conducive to the development of the intellect and charac-ter if its students. But GMC is taking that effort a step further, providing for some students that are not enrolled at Georgia Military College.
In the Harrisburg area in Milledgeville, many kids don’t have the technological resources needed to adequately learn. Technology is a big part of today’s world but some students can only use technology in school, even when it’s required for homework assignments and after-school work. That is a concern that Program Director for the Collins P. Lee Harrisburg Community Center, Cynthia Edwards, says affects students’ performance in Baldwin County.
After receiving a letter asking for assistance, Georgia Military College donated 12 computers to the Harrisburg Community Center, benefitting not only the 15 students in the center’s after-school program, but also the adults of the community. Edwards says this donation is a blessing to the kids of Baldwin County.
“I’m very excited to have these computers for the Harrisburg community to utilize,” Edwards said. “The support of GMC and these computers will boost technology skills for both the com-munity and students in a safe and friendly environment. They’ll offer resources that will be readi-ly available, which the students would not otherwise be able to access because of transporta-tion.”
The computers are the latest in GMC’s three-year partnership with Habitat for Humanity Milledgeville-Baldwin County to support youth in the Harrisburg community. In 2016, GMC foot-ball players volunteered to spend Fridays with children at the community center and at a local swimming pool during the summer.
“We are always looking for ways that we can insert the football team into the community and opportunities to give back to the community,” said GMC Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach, Bert Williams. “A total of 40 football players volunteered to mentor, swim and be ‘play buddies’ with the kids.”
Members of the Harrisburg community were also invited to the GMC Bulldogs’ Spring Football Game, as well as to be guests at the 2016 Alumni Game. Coach Williams plans to extend the invitation to the Alumni Game again this fall.
In 2008, Georgia Military College’s Information Technology (IT) department began working with Flipper Chapel, a G.E.D. program, and adult and children reading program. In addition to the Col-lins P. Lee Center, the IT department at GMC also started working with Voyage of Hope and Community Outreach last year. GMC supplied 10 computers for this group that does after-school programs, tutoring, and youth trips. Brian Milner, Director of Technical Support for Infor-mation Technology at Georgia Military College, says it’s important to GMC to maintain a positive relationship between GMC as an institution, and the community.
Georgia Military College looks forward to building the relationship between GMC and the Harrisburg community, and the Milledgeville-Baldwin community overall.
