Nearly 40 miles west of Chicago, Mooseheart Child City and School has long been committed to providing children and teens a stable, supportive living environment and the opportunity to learn and make a difference…but they’re always happy to have more tools to do so. Enter Wynndalco Enterprises, LLC, the Mokena-based Technology Managed Services firm with a heart toward helping all children, regardless of circumstance, to have equal access to the technology that can change their lives. And between the two, with a donation on September 2 of 25 laptops and one mobile LAN cart, the new Mooseheart school year now can be off to a roaring start.

Founded by an international organization of men and women dedicated to caring for young and old, bringing communities closer together, and celebrating life, Mooseheart Child City and School begins the children’s educational training at age three. At the middle-school level, they add the ability to focus on a vocation (computers, business, science, mechanics, music, cosmetology, and health occupations) in addition to earning an academic diploma. With Mooseheart’s own complete accredited school system located on its campus, Wynndalco’s donation—accepted by Jeff Szymczak, Mooseheart Superintendent and Principal; Karina Villa, State Representative; Greg Hart, DuPage County Board Member; Jose Flores, Wynndalco President and Chief Operating Officer; and Eva Andalcio, Senior Project Manager—comes at an extraordinarily needed time.

Szymczak, who was a teacher at Mooseheart from 1985-1995 and returned in 2013 as principal after a long stint in public education, says, “Mooseheart’s mission is so clear: Enter to learn, leave to serve. These computers will be invaluable toward that end. We’re almost at one-to-one, kid-to-computer ratio, which will help so much with both distance learning and onsite.”

Like so many organizations, Mooseheart had three days’ notice last March to come up with a Plan B for teaching. But because it’s a residential facility with a school on campus, they were able to keep working on learning. With an average enrollment of about 140 to 160 students, Mooseheart has better acclimated to COVID considerations and now is in the throes of preparing for distance learning after Thanksgiving to bridge the holiday season.

“Part of the reason why this donation is so critical is there’s a shortage of equipment,” Szymczak reports. “Our 9th- through 12th-graders already have devices, so we’ve been trying to get more units for the lower grades and staff who need them. But the LAN cart donation is huge as well because in the residential setting, we don’t allow kids to take their computers up to their rooms. So to have a central place to secure and charge the devices is great. It’s a really awesome thing Wynndalco is doing.”

Adds Wynndalco founder and CEO David Andalcio, “With the pandemic, we’re hearing of laptop shortages on top of the demands of hybrid or distance learning programs—all at the time when students most need educational stability. We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to supply some of Mooseheart’s students the tools they need to both learn and help determine their next best steps toward success. It’s exciting to see what will come from the possibilities.”

Established in 2009, Wynndalco is a certified DBE/MBE/SBE/BEP that serves educational institutions, state- and local governments, Fortune 500 and -100 businesses, and transportation entities with proven, affordable, professional support for End-User Device Management, Warehouse & Logistics, Project Management, Technology Infrastructure Operations, and SMART Board® and A/V services. For more information, visit www.wynndalco.com.