Collaboration between Lynchburg and Roanoke City Schools has scored the two divisions a grant totaling $1.4 million. Roanoke Catholic Schools and New Vistas School will also benefit from this grant. The money was awarded through the 2009 stimulus funded Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant competition.
In Lynchburg, the grant will provide the division with more than 800 iPod Touch units. The goal of the grant is that the iPods will help to increase the math and English Standards of Learning Test scores for students. The units will arrive this spring and teachers will be trained on how to use the devices as teaching tools. By the 2010-2011 school year the project will be in all Lynchburg City Schools. This project is called “Partnership to Advance Smaller Technology Integration into Mathematics and English” (PASTIME). Virginia Tech and Apple are also working on this project with the two school divisions.
This highly competitive grant was only awarded to five groups in the state. The other four groups are WHRO Technology Consortium/ Norfolk City Public Schools, Radford University/ Radford City Public Schools, Shenandoah Valley Technology Consortium/ Harrisonburg City Public Schools, and Alexandria City Public Schools.