Apple plans to contribute $100 million in grants to US schools as part of President Obama’s ConnectED initiative.
The iPad and iPhone maker’s new microsite details the company’s contribution, saying that “Education is a fundamental right for everyone,” and so free Apple technology will be issued where it is needed most to further student tuition.
Obama’s ConnectED initiative aims to bring reliable Internet access to 99 percent of US students by 2017, with a particular focus on “parts of the country that typically have trouble attracting investment in broadband infrastructure.” The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and firms including Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Verizon support the scheme by offering grants, as well as free and discounted software.
Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple plans to divide $100 million between 114 schools in 29 states. The company has chosen schools where at least 96 percent of the students are eligible for a free or discount-price lunch, and 92 percent of students enrolled at the partner schools are of Hispanic, Black, Native American, Alaskan Native, or Asian heritage.
The tech giant says that every student at these schools will receive an iPad, every teacher and administrator will be given a free iPad and a Mac, and every ConnectED classroom will be equipped with an Apple TV. In addition, a team from Apple will be assigned to each school in order to ensure the technology is used effectively.
The statistics surrounding Apple’s contribution to ConnectED are detailed below.
