COVID-19 RESOURCES
This page highlights a collection of resources you may find useful during COVID19.
Feel free to also check out our regular collection of suggested programs and resources for individuals and families on our School & Community page.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
HEALTH & WELLNESS
In this video, Nancy Gaden, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, SVP, and Chief Nursing Officer at Boston Medical Center, provides an overview and non-technical explanation of how the vaccine works.
This website will help you pre-register for your COVID-19 vaccines. People who live, work, or study in Massachusetts can pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at the following mass vaccination locations: Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Reggie Lewis Center, DoubleTree Hotel-Danvers, Eastfield Mall-Springfield, Natick Mall, former Circuit City-Dartmouth.
The Mass.Gov page lists the different types of COVID-19 vaccination sites and links to a vaccine finder tool for individuals currently eligible to be vaccinated. Additional locations will be added in the coming weeks. Appointments at mass vaccination sites are released weekly on Thursdays. Individuals will need to confirm they are eligible to get vaccinated in the current phase.
Details of Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. The plan includes three phases, which reflect several priorities: protecting our most vulnerable, maintaining health care system capacity, and addressing inequities in health care access and COVID-19 burden.
MA COVID Vaccine Appointments is a website that helps folks find available locations to make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccination. This is a user-friendly website. The site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
CDC is the nation’s health protection agency, working 24/7 to protect America from health and safety threats, both foreign and domestic. CDC increases the health security of our nation. The tutorial above will introduce you to the CDC website and how to use it.
MCDHH provides accessible communication, education, and advocacy to consumers and private and public entities so that programs, services, and opportunities throughout Massachusetts are fully accessible to persons who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Also available is the Coronavirus Visual Tool to assist Medical Professionals and Deaf and hard of hearing individuals communicate better during medical appointments.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the United States, phone scammers have seized the opportunity, using robocalls and text message scams, to offer free home testing kits, promote bogus cures, sell health insurance, and promise financial relief.
The Federal Communications Commission has created a COVID-19 Consumer Scams video in American Sign Language (ASL).
PBS Kids for Parents has a page dedicated to articles from parents and experts about "Raising Kids Who Thrive". Find various articles to help families thrive at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Find articles such as " 8 Indoor Activities to Release Kids' Energy" and "How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus", plus many more useful articles.
Many students have asked Sal how to cope with stress. In his personal life, Sal finds meditation invaluable for not only reducing stress and anxiety, but also for enjoying the fullness of life. In this short video, Sal introduces you to simple meditation techniques to help you calm your mind, relax, and focus.
COMPUTERS & INTERNET
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a temporary FCC program to help households struggling to afford internet service during the pandemic. As of May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the program to receive a monthly discount for the cost of broadband service from an approved provider. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting GetEmergencyBroadband.org. See the PDF factsheet linked above for details on eligibility and how to apply.
A new national benefits program providing a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills and a one-time discount for an eligible device for qualifying households.
● Discount paid directly to the internet provider.
● Limited to one monthly service discount and a one-time device discount
per household..
Comcast provides low-cost internet to eligible individuals (includes families with public school students). Once you are an Internet Essentials customer, you have the option to purchase a laptop or desktop computer at a discounted price.
Click here for more information about Comcast's internet options during COVID-19.
Message from Comcast: "We have a massive backlog of calls as our volume is unprecedented. We are trying to get this message out to people as much as possible that the simplest, fastest, and easiest way to apply for the program is from their mobile device at www.InternetEssentials.com.
PCs for People offers quality refurbished desktops, laptops, internet service, and accessories to individuals and non-profits. To qualify, individuals must be currently enrolled in an income-based government assistance program or who are below the 200% poverty level. This tutorial will introduce you to their Hotpot options for internet service.
Boost Mobile offers a single data plan for hotspots which is 50GB for $50 per month. If you have an old hotspot from TGH, you may be able to use it! If you don’t own a hotspot you’ll need to buy one.
It may be easiest to go into a store, ask about options and open an account. You can also sign up for a plan by calling 1-866-402-7366.
MetroPCS only offers hotspot service if you have a cell phone plan with them. You will not be able to use your old TGH hotspot with Metro, but you may be able to get a new hotspot device for free. They have several hotspot and data service plan options that range from $10 to $50 per month.
It may be easiest to go into a store, ask about options and open an account. You can also sign up for a plan by calling 1-888-8Metro8 (863-8768).
T-Mobile offers data plans for hotspots. They have several hotspot and data service plan options. Their data plan option range from $10 to $50 per month. Often the price that is advertised is much lower than the price you will really need to pay for the service. Make sure to always asks what the costs are before making a purchase. It may be easiest to go into a store, ask about options and open an account. You can also sign up for a plan by calling 1-800-TMOBILE.
AT&T offers hotspots and data plans. If you already have a AT&T cell phone with a data plan, you may be able to add a hotspot to your plan for only $20 per month. If you are a new customer the service plans are advertised as $40 per month and $50 per month - however there are many other costs involved and your final monthly bill will likely be between $80 and $100. The AT&T website is hard to navigate and the TGH staff was unable to complete a purchase for a hotspot and data plan even after calling customer service. If you would like to get a hotspot from AT&T, then TGH suggests that you visit an AT&T store in person or try calling 888-927-1236 to speak to a customer service agent.
Verizon offers data plans for hotspots. If you have an old hotspot from TGH, you may be able to use it! If not, you’ll need to buy one. If you have a smartphone with data through Verizon, the unlimited data plans are $20 or $30. However, if you are not a current Verizon customer, their data plans are $75 or $85 per month. Often the price that is advertised is much lower than the price you will really need to pay for the service. Make sure to always asks what the costs are before making a purchase. It may be easiest to go into a store or call Verizon at 800-711-3400, ask about options and open an account.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and LinkedIn offer great ways to socialize and connect with friends and others who share similar interests — or to network professionally.
However, it’s easy to hide or alter one’s identity using any of these platforms.
These links will show you how to set up your Chromebook for the first time and show you where to find your settings. You will see how to personalize your new device to suit your needs. This includes how to set your background image, connect to your other Google accounts, upload, and edit pictures, and much more.
BPS is providing Chromebooks to BPS Student who do not have consistent access to a computer at home. Complete the chromebook request form on this page.