Apple bringing new computers and equipment to Chaney campus

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown schools’ Chaney STEM/VPA Campus is about to take its computing to another, higher level.

The campus has been selected to receive a grant from Apple that will provide every student, teacher and administrator with an iPad.

Further, every teacher and administrator will be provided with an iMac computer; every classroom with an Apple TV; Apple software to support creativity and productivity; and access to a dedicated Apple team to provide ongoing professional development and support.

The grant was announced Monday by U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th.

“I am happy that students at the Chaney campus will have the resources they need to receive an individualized education and access to ever-evolving digital content,” Ryan said. “This will give teachers and administrators the ability to be at the cutting edge of technology and bring their classrooms into the 21st century.

“As the Cleveland, Youngstown, Pittsburgh TechBelt expands, our students should be able to compete for these jobs and use these technologies in any given profession,” he continued. “This grant will help ensure they have access today to the real world technologies they will need tomorrow.”

Cheney STEM/VPA (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics and Visual & Performing Arts) is one of 114 schools to receive grants totaling $100 million over the next few years.

Of these schools, 96 percent of students are eligible for participation in free or reduced-price lunch programs. The schools range in size from 80 students to nearly 1,000 students. Ninety-two percent of the students from Apple partner schools are of Hispanic, black, Native America, Alaskan Native or Asian heritage.

“We’re very excited about this grant, and we’re pleased and appreciate the things that Apple has done for the school system,” said Dr. Connie Hathorn, Youngstown City Schools superintendent.

Apple will give Chaney the hardware and software, not the money to buy it, and it will send an installation and training team to the school, said Michael Zetts, the congressman’s press secretary. Zetts said he did not know the dollar value of the grant to Chaney.

Through this program, Apple is joining the President Barack Obama’s ConnectED Initiative, which was designed to enrich K-12 education for every student in America. ConnectED empowers teachers with the best technology and the training and empowers students through individualized learning and rich, digital content.