Whitehall-Coplay Middle School students received more than 300 military computers, laptops and monitors from the Department of Defense during a March 18 ceremony at the school.

That afternoon, WCMS Principal Peter Bugbee and nearly 50 students with immediate family members in the military gathered in the main entrance holding a welcome sign and cheered as Air Force members of the 111th Attack Wing’s Logistics Readiness Squadron delivered computer equipment to the middle school.

One of the airmen, Master Sergeant Ed “Joe” Sommers, who assisted with the presentation and delivery, is from the Lehigh Valley and is a 1996 Whitehall High School graduate. Also participating was Airman Second Class Anthony Frey, who attended WCMS and graduated from Northampton Area High School.

“It is an honor to have our serving men and women present in our building,” Bugbee said. “It was especially nice to have our students with immediate family members there to greet the airmen. It gives a broader sense of who we are as a community and how our community is a part of the greater United States.”

WCMS applied for the Computers for Learning Program with the Department of Defense, and the request was granted. The program was created to offer technology equipment to schools and nonprofit educational organizations for students in prekindergarten through grade 12.

According to the application website, the program helps federal agencies to meet the requirements of Executive Order (EO) 12999, “Educational Technology: Ensuring Opportunity for All Children in the Next Century,” which supports the need for making modern technology an integral part of every classroom.

All computers were inspected to confirm there were no security violations and to ensure they will work with the operating system the school is currently using.

“When they are ready, the main use will be to place them in the back of classrooms as work stations to enhance differentiation of instruction. Students will be able to use them for independent research or for computer-assisted activities,” Bugbee said.

“Having the airmen in our building provides an opportunity to talk to the students about selecting career fields and looking for jobs that can endure over a career and to be flexible and ready to learn in a changing world,” he added.

To learn more about the Computers for Learning Program, visit computersforlearning.gov.