Students Eligible to Win Laptops at ‘Wiring the Classroom’ event

Maury County Public Schools students will be eligible to win a Lenovo laptop and other technological devices at an education event taking place Tuesday, April 25 at 6 p.m. at Columbia State Community College’s Cherry Theater.

The event, Wiring the Classroom: Empowering Students Through Technology, will cover ways schools are using technology to enhance students’ educational experience. Parents, students and community members are invited to the forum, which is hosted by the Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance and will include business and education leaders from Maury County and the state.

Students who sign in at the event will be entered for a drawing to win:

  • A Lenovo laptop
  • One of four stylus pens to accompany a laptop
  • One of three $50 gift cards

All prospective attendees are asked to RSVP at WiringTheClassroom.com.

“We think it’s so important for students to attend the event that we’re offering a rare chance to take home some great gear,” said Maury County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Chris Marczak. “Some students will benefit from an amazing giveaway, but all will learn how technology in the classroom will prepare them for the future.”

The giveaway is courtesy of Lenovo and Central Technologies, which are partnering with MCPS in its quest to place a technological device in the hands of every student and teacher in the district, an initiative known as the DIPLOMA program.

“We are honored to support and participate in a giveaway for this important event,” said Central Technologies Vice President of Client Services Monica Farner. “We believe it is important to invest in the districts we serve, and there is no greater investment than the one we can make in our youth. Partnering with MCPS on their technology initiatives is a privilege.”

The event, a panel forum moderated by Columbia Daily Herald Editor James Bennett, aims to educate students, parents, educators and community members about the benefits of technology in the classroom. The panel includes:

  • Incoming MCPS Chief Digital Learning Officer John Carver
  • Complete Tennessee Executive Director Kenyatta Lovett
  • SCORE Policy and Research Analyst Jeremy Meredith
  • Mount Pleasant Arts Innovation Zone Executive Artsministrator Dr. Ryan Jackson
  • Columbia Power and Water Systems Executive Director Wes Kelley

Among the questions the event aims to answer:

  • How are Maury County Public Schools shifting the educational paradigm from a textbook-based learning model to project-based education through technology? What do students and parents need to know?
  • Does technology-based instruction impact retention rates and test scores? What impact does it have on college readiness?
  • How can Maury County’s workforce benefit from an increase in technologically proficient high school graduates?

Wiring the Classroom is the latest installment in a series of community education events sponsored by the Maury Alliance as part of its Grow Maury Initiative. Last year, hundreds of community members attended Unlocking the Keys to Student Success, a forum that outlined ways students could capitalize on Tennessee’s scholarship programs, and Connecting the Dots, which discussed ways to link Maury’s economic development efforts with its education system.

Interested parties can learn more about the event and RSVP at WiringTheClassroom.com.