U.S. Borax, part of Rio Tinto, donated $200,000 to the Muroc School District for the purchase of 900 new Chromebook tablets that will support students as they learn from home. The donation is part of U.S. Borax’s partnership with the Muroc Joint Unified School District to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on student education as well as support academic perseverance in eastern Kern County.
Due to the pandemic, the Muroc School District has moved to 100% distance learning for all students, from kindergarten to grade 12. The Muroc School District serves more than 1,900 students in the California communities of Boron, Desert Lakes, North Edwards, as well as Edwards Air Force Base for public K-12 education.
“Our partnership with Rio Tinto has allowed us to provide new Chromebooks to our students across this district," said superintendent for Muroc Joint Unified School District, Kevin Cordes. "This helps us ensure equal access to education for all our students.
U.S. Borax General Manager Amanda Smith added, “We are priviledged to partner with the Muroc Joint Unified School District in their efforts to deliver equitable and accessible education to all their students. We are excited about the opportunity to harness technology to support education resilience and we look forward to checking back in with the students and teachers to see the benefits this can bring over the course of the year.”
Since the beginning of the year, U.S. Borax has partnered with local community organizations on COVID-19 initiatives across California, contributing more than $40,000 to support food resilience, distance learning, and vulnerable people and families. In response to reduced availability of sanitation supplies, our technicians also produced hand sanitizer directly on site at Boron.
This donation is part of the pledge Rio Tinto made in May 2020 to
donate $10 million in support for community partners and COVID-19 initiatives in Canada and the United States.
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