In the photo: Special Education instructor, Trish Butler, works with a student on a new iPad

Trish Butler is a 12-year veteran of working with special needs students at Farmin-Stidwell Elementary. With the help of a $5,000 PAFE grant, she launched a district-wide program to provide access to iPads for all special needs students. The goal is to improve achievement levels of this student population.

“Our students love them,” said Butler. “They do school work and think they are playing games. We have students for the first time sharing thoughts and feelings. The iPads have allowed us to talk in the language of our students.”

After seeing the iPads in use, she believes the students are at the beginning stages of utilizing them for accelerated achievement. “We have come so far, but the room for growth has no bounds.”