Apple Will Provide iPads, Macs, Apple TVs and More to 114 US Schools in ConnectED Initiative

[RaduTyrsina]

Back in July, last year, President Obama announced the ConnectED initiative which was aimed at connecting all schools to the digital age. The ConnectED initiative seeks to connect schools and libraries to next-generation high-capacity broadband and to provide high-capacity wireless connectivity within those schools and libraries within five years.

And as part of its participation in President Barack Obama's ConnectED technology in education program, Apple is giving its latest hardware, as well as services and infrastructure, to 114 schools across the U.S. Here are some more details:

Packages will be meted out using the government's free or reduced-price lunch program as a barometer for need. Apple says it chose schools in which 96 percent of the student body qualified for the lunch program, ensuring help for some of the most economically challenged learners in the country. A breakdown of populations at partner schools shows 92 percent of students are Hispanic, Black, Native American, Alaskan Native, or Asian.

Under Apple's grant terms, students at selected schools receive an iPad, while administrators and teachers get both an iPad and a Mac to create classwork and offer support. Additionally, every classroom is outfitted with an Apple TV, which can be used to display lesson content via AirPlay. Each partner school will also be assigned an Apple Education team to help integrate the advanced learning tools into existing curriculum.

Apple is also partnering with educational software suppliers and with Wi-Fi service providers like AT&T and Sprint to connect classrooms to the Web. Apple's pledge to the initiative is said to be somewhere north of $100 million worth of products.

Source: Apple