MONTGOMERY –Gov. Robert Bentley has announced two grants to expand students’ learning opportunities by upgrading technology in Etowah County and Piedmont city schools.
The Etowah County School System will use a $100,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant to provide whiteboards, computers, tablets and teacher training in 10 schools. By making classrooms more up-to-date technologically, school officials expect to enhance learning and ultimately improve graduation rates.
The Piedmont City School System will use its $100,000 ARC grant to purchase 200 laptop computers for students to use in the classroom and at home. In 2011, the school system purchased 790 Apple MacBooks to loan to all fourth-12th-grade students. School officials say the computers are helping students achieve greater academic success and even improving the computer skills of parents. The new computers will replace those that are no longer operational.
“Computer experience has become essential for success in school and the workplace,” Bentley said. “These programs will help more Etowah County and Piedmont students to increase their digital literacy.”
The ARC program is administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement and traffic safety, workforce development, energy conservation, economic development, water resource management and recreation.
Congress established the ARC in 1965 as a supplemental grant program to raise the standard of living, improve the quality of life and promote economic development in portions of the 13 Appalachian mountain states. Thirty-seven Alabama counties, including Etowah and Calhoun, are part of the ARC area.
Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers