Community First Credit Union, a state-chartered credit union serving the First Coast, recently fulfilled a local teacher’s request to use Kindles in the classroom.

Sandalwood High School teacher Crystal Parker submitted a request to Community First for a $2,400 grant to fund the purchase of 30 Kindles for her students to use during their reading class. The technology, wrote Parker, would better prepare her students for FCAT testing, and would provide a sense of uniformity. Those reading lower-level books would no longer feel embarrassed because, with a Kindle, each student’s book would appear identical.

Representatives from Community First hand-delivered the 30 Kindles to Ms. Parker’s classroom. The devices will be used in each of her eight reading classes, and will serve all of her students.

Community First Credit Union is a not-for-profit credit union in Jacksonville, Fla., serving those who live or work in Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties. Since its inception, the focus of Community First has centered on supporting the educational community and cultivating local partnerships that encourage and promote financial education.

For more information about Community First, visit www.CommunityFirstFL.org, call (904) 354-8537 or (800) 342-8416.