COWICHAN VALLEY, B.C. — Rogers Communications is working with Apple to provide iPads with free Rogers wireless data plans to students in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley School District to support their educational needs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Along with three months of free LTE wireless data from Rogers, the iPads come pre-equipped with a suite of high-quality educational apps, the news release says. The initiative is designed to ensure equity in access to educational opportunities for students while in-class learning is suspended, while also allowing teachers to plan a more fulsome online educational experience, says the company. In addition, Apple is providing ongoing support in English and French to teachers, parents and students, with a collection of books, apps and videos to support learning and working from home.
Rogers launched the same program in Ontario in April.
“Our work with Rogers and Apple has allowed us to continue to engage our learners in meaningful educational opportunities,” said Candace Spilsbury, chair of the Board of Education for the school district, in the news release. “Even though in-class instruction is suspended these tools allow us to still work hard to prepare our learners for a world they will create.”
“Rogers is committed to finding ways to close the digital divide and help provide critical support for B.C. students and families who need it the most,” said Rick Sellers, president of the B.C. region for Rogers Communications. “We are pleased to be working alongside the Cowichan School District and Apple to help meet the educational needs of families and to provide affordable remote learning solutions such as iPads that are secure, easy to deploy and easy to use so that no student is left behind while schools are closed.”
When in-class instruction resumes in the Cowichan Valley School District, the iPads will be returned to schools and continue to serve as technological tools in classrooms. The three months of free wireless data will support students through the end of the school year and can continue to be used throughout the summer, the release says.
