JCPS enlists help from St. Vincent de Paul to prepare students to resume online learning

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Community organizations are stepping up to help now that Jefferson County Public Schools will start the school year online and two weeks later than originally planned.

The district is hoping organizations like St. Vincent de Paul will play a role in the success of what JCPS calls "NTI 2.0," the second iteration of its distance learning program.

When school shut down in March, the district handed out thousands of Chromebooks and internet hotspots to students in need. JCPS has created a plan that would provide more for the upcoming semester. District leaders are currently waiting on feedback for that plan and will be releasing it to schools sometime next week.

Families will be able to request devices through an online process, and schools will distribute those based on need. The hotspots will only work with JCPS-owned devices.

"It's imperative that they have the access that they need," said Kermit Belcher, the JCPS chief information officer. "It puts students at a disadvantage if they just have a device and they don't have internet access."

During the spring, St. Vincent de Paul ensured that students were able to both the devices themselves as well as the internet access they needed to succeed. Now leaders at the organization say they're ready to jump in to help again.

Every year, they help more than 100 JCPS kids, and just a few months ago, they made sure even more children had the equipment and access they needed for online learning. Their help will likely be needed again next month as JCPS has approved virtual learning for the first six weeks of school.

After that six-week period, the district will re-evaluate the situation in terms of safety and quality of education to see if in-person learning should resume.

Until then, JCPS is beginning to contact community organizations like St. Vincent de Paul to help make NTI 2.0 a better program.

Organizers at St. Vincent de Paul said they're ready to help again and encourage other organizations to answer that call.

"Do what you can," said Julio Anthony, program manager St. Vincent de Paul's Family Success Center. "Don't hold back. There's a lot of families that need the help. Don't limit what you have. Don't limit your resources. Open up to everybody that's in need."

The center is planning to create a learning hub the students can visit for Internet access and help with assignments. Organizers say they'll operate in shifts to maximize the number of people who are able to use the facility while maintaining social distancing.

JCPS students will head back to class on Aug. 25. In the meantime, St. Vincent de Paul will continue planning programs to help students succeed with virtual learning.