How are you funding your iPad program?

[Sam Gliksman]

I'll often get messages from site members asking about ways to get funding for an iPad program at their school. What better way of helping each other out? Share your insights and suggestions...

 

Sam Gliksman

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Twitter: @samgliksman

[Ryan J. Kummins]

What about schools outside of the US?

[Michael Hoke]

Where might your school be located Ryan?

[Ryan J. Kummins]

I'm at the International School of Curacao. Curacao is a small, Caribbean island next to Aruba (we're the "C" of the "ABC Islands!"). We are technically a Dutch island, although we have a local government since last year. The US Consulate here is pretty active.

[Joshua Sommermeyer]

We are doing a student owned program in a high school... major reason is that we want students to be masters of their own devices... we will give them a core set of apps purchased in bulk, but they will manage their own devices, its a skill they need beyond the classroom, and we have a great environment in which to teach them... 

[Sam Gliksman]

Public or private school Joshua? Have you had any problems with parents unable to purchase the equipment?

[Joshua Sommermeyer]

Private/Parochial School... we plan to offer purchase plans... and our CFO has stated we will not lose a current student because of the iPads...

check that... we will not lose a current student because of a financial concern related to the iPads... if parents don't want students in the environment we are creating, that is up to them ultimately...

[Estela Landeros-Dugourd]

Ryan,

Try contacting your local Rotary Club. They have a website http://www.rotarycuracao.org/index.php/en/

They can help you with a local grant or apply for an international grant to support your school for which they will seek international funds from other clubs.

Ryan J. Kummins said:

I'm at the International School of Curacao. Curacao is a small, Caribbean island next to Aruba (we're the "C" of the "ABC Islands!"). We are technically a Dutch island, although we have a local government since last year. The US Consulate here is pretty active.

[Michael Hoke]

Joshua,

Have you all considered leasing the iPads and passing down the cost to the students in the form of a very manageable technology fee? For example, with a 24 month refresh cycle in place it would cost eachstudent about 127.00 per semester and with a 36 month refresh cycle it would cost each student about 91.00 per semester. This is the most common method that I see schools use in regards to breaking up the cost of iPads over time.

[Ryan J. Kummins]

Hi there! Who did you write the Grant to? Did you write the Grant for the machines only, or for a package with apps and everything? What will you do when maintanence concerns arise or the iPads need updating?

paulthebert said:

I wrote a grant request... I should find out by the end of the month if we got funding.

[Ryan J. Kummins]

This is a super idea! I teach at a private school overseas. How do you find information regarding itexts?

Matt Baier said:

We are a private school so most of our money comes from tuition. To fund our iPad 1:1 program next year the teachers have to find enough textbook savings to offset the extra money parents will pay to fund to the program.

For example, next year we will use a digital textbook in our American Government classes instead of a traditional textbook.  The old book costs $60-$80.  The digital book is $15 for a semester subscription.

If the parents have to pay $400 a year to pay for the iPad leases, then we need to save them $400 a year in textbook costs.

Some of us are working on creating our own collections of resources to replace the textbook which we could distribute on the iPads for free. This way the iPad program is actually saving our parents money.

I realize that is is probably not an option in public schools but maybe its an approach that will work in other private schools.

[Daniel Mueller]

I have seen a lot of examples of how a 1:1 program may look but those programs are in private schools.  Is there a blueprint for this in a public high school?  Any insight into getting started?

Michael Hoke said:

I specialize in working with education to implement 1:1 iPad and Macbook programs all across the country (for both K12 and higher ed). I find that the greatest challenge is not necessarily in coming up with the initial funds to make the first iPad purchase, but in putting a "system" in place that most cost effectively manages the preferred iPad "refresh" process at any given school, over time. Donations and grants are wonderful, but how will you fund next year's acquisition, and the year after that? How will you track all of the iPads for each student? How will you decommission each iPad when they've exceeded their useful life? How will you manage the obsolescence risk of iPad technology knowing that Apple will most likely come out with newer and better iPad technology almost every year moving forward? Most of the schools we work with put in place a lease-based refresh model for their iPad programs. Over a three year period they're paying only 97% of the actual purchase price for the iPads, they have a process in place which ensures they'll never have an iPad on campus over three years old and they are supplied with all of the support and tracking tools they will need to effectively manage the program (all at no additional cost). As mentioned in one of the comments below, most of these schools pass on the lease cost to the students in the form of a technology fee which coincides with the school's lease payments. Here are two examples of schools we work with who have successfully implemented 1:1 programs. The first is an article in "The Journal" for the Tower School in Massachusetts. The second is a case study video for Xavarian High School in New York City.

The Tower School: Massachusetts

http://thejournal.com/Articles/2011/08/03/Tower-Schools-11-Program-...

Xavarian High School - New York City

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hj7YTqpsjY&noredirect=1

We work with over 300 educational institutions all accross the county so if you would like to learn more about how schools are funding and managing these types of programs, I would be happy to share some insight.