ORANGE, CA – Today, Orange Unified School District became the first school district in Orange County to join Verizon Innovative Learning, Verizon’s education initiative targeting Title I schools, which aims to address barriers to digital inclusion. In partnership with Digital Promise, Verizon Innovative Learning will provide the students and staff members at Portola and Yorba Middle Schools with free 1:1 devices, free internet access, and a technology-driven curriculum. In addition, Portola and Yorba will each receive extensive teacher training and support from a full-time coach to train teachers to effectively integrate technology into their lessons and enable students to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to build an innovative workforce of the future.
“We appreciate the partnership of Verizon Innovative Learning to help reinforce EDGE Focus Area 1.0 – Excellence in Academics and Leadership – by providing our students and teachers at Portola and Yorba Middle Schools with the tools and opportunity to engage in powerful teaching and learning that leverages technology in and out of the classroom,” stated Superintendent Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Yorba and Portola Middle Schools are among the 148 new schools joining Verizon Innovative Learning for the 2021-22 school year, bringing the program to more than 400 middle and high schools nationwide. To date, Verizon has invested over $535 million in market value toward STEM education efforts in support of digital inclusion, impacting more than 480,000 students nationwide since 2012.
Verizon Innovative Learning is driving academic improvements as a result of the initiative.* In fact, 59% of Verizon Innovative Learning students believe assignments are easier when using a device, and 54% believe having the device improved their confidence in the things they can do. Moreover, Verizon Innovative Learning teachers felt more prepared for distance learning thanks to the initiative, with 92% reporting that Verizon Innovative Learning helped prepare them to teach remotely.**
For more information about Verizon Innovative Learning, please visit CitizenVerizon.com
* Source: Westat (2020).Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Survey Result Dashboard Dec 2020
**Source: Westat (2020): Verizon Innovative Learning Teacher Survey June 2020
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The Orange Unified School District educates approximately 28,000 K-12th grade students in the Cities of Orange, Villa Park, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, and unincorporated county areas. In partnership with our community, we provide a safe, equitable, and innovative culture of learning for each scholar to have a competitive EDGE as a leader. For more information, visit the Orange Unified website and follow us on social media.
About Verizon Innovative Learning
Verizon Innovative Learning, Verizon's education initiative targeting Title 1 schools in partnership with Digital Promise, addresses barriers to digital inclusion. It’s a key program under Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement. The program provides free 1:1 devices, free internet access and a technology-driven curriculum with the goal to transform the learning experience. Through exposure to cutting-edge technology, the program enables students to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to build an innovative workforce of the future. Since 2012, Verizon Innovative Learning has committed a total of $535 million in STEM education efforts in support of digital inclusion. In 2019, Verizon launched its first 5G-enabled Verizon Innovative Learning classroom, with the goal of 100 in the coming years. The company is committed to providing 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030. Learn more at CitizenVerizon.com.