Vast Broadband, a leading broadband/cable company that is currently underway on a $60 million expansion effort to provide high-quality, high-speed broadband and video services to additional homes and business in the Sioux Falls community, announced today that they have donated $2,940 to the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation in order to fund the purchase of 10 iPads. The donation is part of Vast’s efforts to invest in the communities in which they do business and support the use of technology in educational environments.
Vast Broadband Regional Director of Operations Mark Bookout joined members of the Board of Directors of the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation for a check presentation on Wednesday, December 8.
“We are honored to be partnering with the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation to bring innovative technology to classrooms,” said Bookout. “Our expansion efforts in Sioux Falls are focused on providing the most amount of access to the most amount of people and that includes both teachers and their students.”
The iPads will be available as part of the Foundation’s Public School Proud Grants, which are intended to fund and fuel creativity in classrooms. Any educator in the Sioux Falls School District can apply for up to $10,000 each year to purchase creative or inventive materials that will give students hands-on experiences. Educators have used funds for drones, weather stations, musical instruments, garden grow labs, 3D printers, books for English language learners, light tables, cardio drumming equipment, yoga mats, robotics kits, a printing press, photography equipment, and more.
The iPads provided by Vast will be awarded as part of the grants so teachers can use them to explore virtual and augmented reality, coding programs, health science simulation mannequins, and literature projects.
“We are thrilled to partner with Vast to enhance STEM education in the classroom,” said Allison Struck, executive director of the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation. “Through Public School Proud Grants, we celebrate educators who are dreaming big to give students opportunities many would not otherwise have. We appreciate Vast’s investment as it will give students hands-on experiences and teach them some of the most sought-after skills like coding, data analysis, and critical thinking.”