Innovative Technology Learning Fund

Innovative Technology Education FundPage 1

Press Release

innovative technology education fund announces fall 2010 grant awardees; accepting spring 2011 applications now

st. louis, mo, JANUARY 13, 2011: The Innovative Technology Education Fund, a private foundation dedicated to connecting educators to technological resources, is pleased to announce over $165,000 in grants to area schools, bringing their 2010 grant total to over $290,000. ITEF again partnered with Savvis, Inc. to help underwrite three of its grants. The Savvis Technology grant totaled $20,000.

ITEF is now accepting applications for its next grant cycle with a spring deadline date of March 11, 2011. Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of $15,000. Qualifying schools will present forward-looking ideas and models that enhance learning for students and classroom educators by focusing on:

• Student Achievement – Connecting students to the technological resources they need to reach high levels of educational success
• Extended Learning – Using technology to extend and enhance learning outside of the classroom
• Technology Skill Development and Transfer – Projects that support students and teachers in developing the skills and knowledge needed to function in and contribute to a technology-rich society

Interested educators may visit to take the eligibility quiz and begin the application process.

The fall 2010 awardees are truly visionary in their application of technology to the classroom setting. Schools are using various types of technology to improve student achievement while also providing much needed professional development for their educators. Savvis, Inc., helped to underwrite grants to Danby-Rush Tower Middle School to enhance employment opportunities for rural students through the use of electronic portfolios, Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School to support math and science teachers through the installation of Smart Board equipment in their classrooms and the professional development needed to use the equipment effectively, and to the St. Louis Internship Program to allow 9th grade students to receive the computer instruction necessary for them to develop employability skills needed to prepare for summer internships and ultimately achieve a productive and satisfying future.
The Fall 2010 ITEF Grant Recipients are:

Center for Educational Advancement on behalf Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis, Inc. (CSD) $8,720.00

Improving Student Performance by Integrating Multimedia Projects and Digital Storytelling into the High School Curriculum

De La Salle Middle School $15,000.00

Closing the Achievement Gap through Computers in the Classroom.

Epworth School $15,000.00

Smart Board Technology, Smart Response clicker system 8 industrial strength laptops, and a laptop cart.

Francis Howell School District $14,500.00

Transitional Reading in the Middle School utilizing Amazon Kindle e-readers. Pilot reading program at two middle schools: Hollenbeck Middle and Barnwell Middle Schools.

Jefferson County R-VII - Danby-Rush Tower Middle School $12,125.44

Equipment to assist in creating Industrial Technology Electronic Portfolios. This grant is funded in part by Savvis, Inc.

Jennings School District $5,700.00

Wireless Probeware to allow students to be immersed in a technologically enriched science experience.
Seckman Middle School $15,000.00

Advanced Technology: Making Magic in the Classroom. Outfitting 9 classrooms with smartboard type equipment, 9 laptops and 9 Interwrite learning pads.

Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School $16,000.00
Smart Boards: Smarter Kids!: 2 SMART Board touch-sensitive interactive whiteboards, projectors, one SMART table, and professional development. This grant is funded in part by Savvis, Inc.

St. Clair R-XIII School District$14,118.00

Reading: Our favorite class!: Scholastic (SRI) software, a Promethium board, Promethium Learner Response clicker set, Promethium active slate and a document camera.

St. Louis Internship Program $7,492.00

Pre-Internship Component (PIC) Computer Literacy Training: Grant to cover direct costs for 50 students to receive computer / Microsoft Office instruction at the Harrison Education Center. This grant is funded in part by Savvis, Inc.

St. Mary’s High School $7,000.00

Using Technology to Improve Reading Proficiency Levels: In order to improve reading proficiency skills in all students the school is integrating additional Reading Plus software.
Additionally, two schools were selected to receive board directed grants for new equipment and two years of service to incorporate CLEAR’s new 4G wi-max technology into their classrooms to enhance the educational missions of their schools. These schools include:

Jennings School District $18,656.00 (Board Directed Grant)

Provides the equipment and Wi-Max access for Jennings High School to use the 2.5 educational broadband spectrum (4g) service to further their educational mission. Jennings received netbooks, printers, CLEARSpots, modems, routers, software, flash drives, technical support and an internet filtering system. They will be using wi-max for Educational Research; Online Educational Resources / online software etc.; Communications with Parents / Administrators; Skype / Video Conferencing with other educators / professionals / other students (for educational purposes); Field Trips (using mobility of wi-max) and Professional Development (online courses, internet research etc.)

Marian Middle School $16,876.00 (Board Directed Grant)

Provides the equipment and Wi-Max access for Marian Middle School to use the 2.5 educational broadband spectrum (4g) service to further their educational mission. Marian Middle School received netbooks and headphones for their students, laptops and docking stations for 3 teachers, printers, a server, professional development, software and technical support. They will be using wi-max for Educational Research; Online Educational Resources / online software etc.; Communications with Parents / Administrators and Professional Development (online courses, internet research etc.)

Expanded grant summaries are available on our website:

About Savvis
Savvis, Inc. (NASDAQ: SVVS) is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprises. Nearly 2,500 unique clients, including 32 of the top 100 companies in the Fortune 500, use Savvis to reduce capital expense, improve service levels and harness the latest advances in cloud computing. For more information, please visit

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