Dive Brief:

• Apple will award a total of $100 million in grants to 114 schools in 29 states to help them use technology to meet educational goals in conjunction with President Barack Obama's ConnectED initiative.
• ConnectEd is focused on providing WiFi access to 99% of K-12 schools by 2017 and getting software and devices (like Apple's iPads) into classrooms.    
• Through the grants, every student at each school will get an iPad, every teacher and administrator will get an iPad and a Mac, and every classroom will be outfitted with an Apple TV.  

Dive Insight:

The grants don't just stop with the products: Apple has committed to help the schools and students truly delve into understanding how to use them. According to Apple's website, an Apple Education Team will be assigned to each school to ensure that everyone knows how to use the products. Additionally, a professional development specialist will be available to ensure teachers know how to mesh technology and curriculum.

The company's goal of promoting diversity and helping communities that wouldn't necessarily have access to these products was clear. According to its website, 92% of students from the 114 schools are Hispanic, Black, Native American, Alaskan Native, or of Asian heritage. In order to pick these winning schools, Apple worked with a panel of different education stakeholders, including the National Association of Secondary School Principals.