At the Baxter YMCA, about a mile north of Greenwood along U.S. 31, a technology lab is ready for students to use it — students who may not be attending school in person but are struggling to complete assignments, either due to connectivity issues at home or needing a place to focus.
The Baxter branch is one of three central Indiana YMCA locations with eLearning labs. Many of the branch members hail from Johnson County, said David Smith, the branch’s associate executive director.
“It’s a great thing the Y is trying to do,” Smith said. “We have people broken up into time slots. There is a person there to assist with logging on. The main purpose is to have a quiet and good environment for learning.”
Attendance at the lab has been scarce, but Smith said he hopes the more people who know about the lab, the more who will take advantage of its services, which are free of charge and don’t require a YMCA membership.
Students need to bring their own devices, said Jamie Rhodman, youth empowerment director for YMCA of Greater Indianapolis.
“We understand online learning can be especially challenging for families,” Rhodman said. “We understand school for many of our students is a time for them to be socially connected. The eLearning lab offers a way for students to connect to eLearning while safely connecting with each other as well.”
The Baxter eLearning lab is limited to 12 students per session to allow space for social distancing. Staff members also clean the lab between each session, Smith said.
Every Johnson County school district has given students the option to learn virtually this semester, and more than 4,000 students have opted out of in-person learning across the six districts. Hopefully, the lab can help some of those students get through the school year successfully, he said.
“I think it’s important because for some students, you’ve got two working parents. The biggest part is access to a reliable Wi-Fi network," Smith said. "Sometimes, doing work at your house can be distracting, but coming to the Y with reliable Wi-Fi service and a good learning environment will help someone trying to learn online.”
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The Baxter YMCA Branch is located at 7900 Shelby St., Indianapolis
Phone number: 317-881-9347
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