La Salle's Community TechServe and Ascensus Donate Computer Lab to School in Need

On Thursday, November 5th, 2015 ten La Salle College High School Lab Manager volunteers installed thirty computer workstations at Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Ignatius School in Philadelphia. In June of 2015, the technology program at Saint Ignatius School was devastated by the theft of their iPads and laptops. Through a donation by Ascensus, Community TechServe was able to provide a new computer lab to the school.

After refurbishing the machines over the summer, and reinstalling all software used for education, the computers were loaded on to La Salle vans and transported to Saint Ignatius. These machines will be used for computer classes and learning enrichment. La Salle Student volunteers will be returning to Saint Ignatius to donate four SmartBoards and projectors to further enrich the education of the students at Saint Ignatius.

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ABOUT COMMMUNITY TECHSERVE

Founded in 2001, Community TechServe (CTS) is a year-round program for skilled student volunteers from La Salle College High School, the program provides technology services at various educational institutions in the Philadelphia area. Typically, participating students install SmartBoards, set-up computer labs, and configure networks. Previous projects have included La Salle Academy, St. Michael's Indian School in Arizona, De La Salle In Towne, Young Scholars Charter School, West Catholic, St. Ignatius School, the Gesu School and Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, New York.

CTS works because it is rooted solidly in Lasallian spirituality and good citizenship. Not only do students involved in CTS serve others, they can articulate well what the program is about. They know it is more than producing quality computer networks and delivering effective training at various inner-city schools. The experience of coming face to face with the reality of what exists in the inner city has taught them to ask complex questions about the disparities that exist in society. Seeing the product of their efforts gives them great satisfaction, but the stories that make the greatest impression on them seem to be about the people they have met in the process.

The program has even been awarded the National Association of Independent School (NAIS) Leading Edge Award in Community Relations. The Leading Edge Award Recognition Program identifies outstanding programs in pre-collegiate education and showcases these programs as models of best practice from which all schools can learn.

ABOUT LA SALLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL

Founded in 1858, La Salle College High School is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young men of varied backgrounds and is conducted in the tradition of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. The school is located on 84-acres in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania and has over 1,060 students currently enrolled in grades 9 through 12.

ABOUT ASCENSUS

Ascensus is the largest independent retirement and college savings services provider in the United States, helping over 6 million Americans save for the future. With more than 30 years of experience, the firm partners with financial institutions to offer tailored solutions that meet the needs of financial professionals, employers, and individuals. Ascensus specializes in recordkeeping, administrative, and program management services, supporting over 40,000 retirement plans and 3.3 million 529 college savings accounts. It also administers more than 1.5 million IRAs and health savings accounts. For more information about Ascensus, visit www.ascensus.com