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8 Middle Schools Receive Thousands of Tablets From Digital Promise

• By Stephen Noonoo
• 08/19/14

Nonprofit Digital Promise is donating thousands of tablets, along with specialized PD, to eight middle schools across the country through a Verizon Foundation grant.

The grant, begun in 2012, is part of the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program, which centers on investments in STEM education and mobile technology. Selected schools participate in the program for two years.

For this expansion coordinated with Digital Promise, who ultimately picked the schools from a large applicant pool, each school will receive a dedicated technology coach to help with integration. STEM-focused teachers receive additional training and students begin learning in 1-to-1 environments using various pieces of mobile technology, like tablets.

Selection was based on each district’s vision for technology integration, and contingent on meeting technical requirements. Size and location of the schools and the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch also contributed. 

This year, 827 students and 40 teachers at Rancho Minerva Middle School and 645 students and 32 teachers at Vista Innovation and Design Academy (VIDA), both in the Vista (CA) Unified School District, will start using iPads. In Pennsylvania, two schools in the Bristol Township School District will receive more than 1,000 tablets for each teacher and student, along with a data plan. The district plans to adopt a two-phase rollout over the next two years.

Throughout the duration of the program, schools will share practices, teacher insights, stories, and resources from the implementation with Digital Promise, who will share details online.

The full list of selected schools is also available.