by Kate LaBrake
Big changes are coming to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute with the help of an anonymous donor.
Thanks to an alumnus’ $150,000 gift, all students who attend St. Joe’s will receive Apple iPads free of charge this fall. This comes one year after the school announced that they would provide each incoming freshmen class with the technology as part of their One-to-One Program, which would eventually place the tablets in the hands of all students in a matter of four years.
This jumpstart is being heralded by St. Joe’s administration as a giant leap forward.
“We’ve already seen the power of these devices in the hands of our freshmen,” said St. Joe’s President Robert T. Scott, AFSC. “Now, because of the generosity of a single alumnus, we will be able to provide that same technology to our approximately 400 other students. It’s wonderful.”
The iPads will be given to all students and incorporated into the curriculum beginning September 2013, as released in an email to parents on Friday. Within the coming summer months, the administration will focus on preparing the building and faculty for the major push forward.
“…Our Board of Trustees will continue to make all necessary improvements to our wireless access in the building to accommodate this new technology,” said Scott in the email. “We will also continue to supply our students and teachers with the tools they need – helpful resources, workshops, and individualized training – so they can make best use of the powerful educational devices.”
The iPads will join a host of other technological innovations that have enriched the classroom experience in the Catholic school’s 152-year history. Currently, there are two brand new computer labs on campus as well as SmartBoard technology in every classroom.
To Scott, these continued upgrades are about more than helping students learn in a new way: It’s about mission.
“Innovation is at the core of our mission as a Lasallian school,” said Scott. “Our schools were founded in the principle of keeping education accessible to all, and incorporating technology helps us reach more students and prepare them for success in an increasingly tech-focused, global economy. This generous gift shows that alumni appreciate this mission and want to help us take it into the future.”