PORT ANGELES — Laptops will be offered to students who are pursuing high school equivalency in the Peninsula College Transitional Program under a new collaboration between the Peninsula College Foundation and United Way of Clallam County.

The Transitional Studies Laptop Access Program (TSLAP) is intended to bridge a technology gap for students.

Students who complete their coursework and continue their education at Peninsula College will keep the equipment so that they can transition to college or work with the technology they need, organizers said.

“Access to laptops became crucial once the pandemic began,” said Amie Batton, director of Transitional Studies at Peninsula College.

“The idea of a laptop program that would serve close to 75 students this year, with an incentive to continue their education, was formed.”

The United Way designated its “Get It Done Award” of $10,000 to TSLAP and was integral in the Foundation applying and receiving an additional $25,000 grant from the First Federal Community Foundation, Batton said.

“Recognizing that this will be an ongoing need, we encouraged the Peninsula College Foundation to apply for other grants,” said Christy Smith, CEO of United Way of Clallam County.

“We were pleased to learn that our initial gift helped secure funding for even more students, setting them up for success,” she said.

“We are thankful that the First Federal Foundation sees this as an investment in students’ education that will improve the entire community’s wellbeing by helping get more individuals out of poverty and into the workforce.”