Rotary donation buys iPads and charging station for Bill Wallace
A $5,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Chickasha funded the purchase of six additional iPads and a mobile charging station at Bill Wallace Early Childhood Center. Shown last with the iPads and the charging station are BWECC students Jaeley Cruz and Jason Marshall and from left, teachers Janice Blasingame and Jeannie Snow and Rotary President Greg Elliott and President Elect Kory Kirkland.Additional photos can be found under Photo Albums tab at bottom right of Home Page by clicking on 2013 Rotary Donation to BWECC.
A $5000 contribution from the Rotary Club of Chickasha has helped Bill Wallace Early Childhood Center buy six additional iPads and a mobile iPad charging station.
The mobile unit allows the iPads to be used in multiple classrooms and has made testing more efficient. Earphones purchased through a grant from the Chickasha Public School
Foundation allow teachers to test numerous students at once instead of one at a time.
The funding was made possible by a $4,000 grant from Rotary District 5770 and a $1,000 match from the Rotary Club of Chickasha.
At the Nov. 7 Rotary Club meeting, teachers Janice Blasingame and Jeannie Snow and two BWECC students demonstrated the applications used on the iPads to enhance math and language skills for Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade students.
The mobile unit allows the iPads to be used in multiple classrooms and has made testing more efficient. Earphones purchased through a grant from the Chickasha Public School Foundation allow teachers to test numerous students at once instead of one at a time.As a Title 1 school, the poverty rate at BWECC is 85%. That puts those kids at high risk to be behind in testing and scholastic achievement.
“The iPads help these children become comfortable with the technology that many of them do not have access to at home,” Rotary Club of Chickasha President Greg Elliott said.
Elliott said the club also would be participating in a mentoring program at the school, where club members will volunteer to read with Children who are falling behind the rest of the class.
Grants totaling $25,000 were given to eight Rotary Clubs to fund projects in southwest Oklahoma.
The grants were funded from contributions that the Rotarians from District 5770 gave to the Rotary International Foundation in 2010. Three years later, half of those contributions are returned to the district for use for local club projects, as well as an additional $25,000 or more that will be made available for global projects.
Additional photos can be found under Photo Albums tab at bottom right of Home Page by clicking on 2013 Rotary Donation to BWECC.