Easterseals Children’s Academy in Waterbury Distributes 20 iPads With Microscopes to Pre-Schoolers

Waterbury, CT, September 13, 2016 – “We want people who generously donated to Easterseals during the 2016 Give Local campaign to know where some of their dollars have been directed,” states Loraine C. Shea, president and CEO of Easterseals serving Greater Waterbury. “A percentage of the total donations we received was directed to a project that recently purchased 20 iPads with microscopes for students ages 3 to 5 with developmental delays or attention issues who attend our pre-school class at our Waterbury Children’s Academy.”

The mission of Easterseals serving Greater Waterbury is to provide services to thousands of infants, children and adults with disabilities throughout Greater Waterbury, central and northwestern Connecticut to help them to live full, independent lives and reach their personal goals. Formerly named the All Kids Child Care, the Children’s Academy locations serving the Greater Waterbury area provide an inclusive, high quality early care and education that promotes a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth. Each Academy offers a full-day, year-round program, parental support and a School Readiness program that prepares children for Kindergarten success.

On Wednesday, September 7, in a special in-classroom presentation, excited Children’s Academy students in Waterbury received twenty new iPads reports Katie McGinnis, Easterseals Children’s Academy Program Director. “Thanks to contributions our non-profit organization received from the 2016 Give Local campaign, we distributed the new iPads with microscopes that will assist children enhance their knowledge of technology and science.

The microscopes will help the children learn about science and how to observe various objects. Through these iPad learning tools, they will also learn social and emotional skills, participate in virtual field trips, plus learn literacy and math skills. All of these skills are what we focus on in the Easterseals Children’s Academy. With this level of assistive technology through the iPads, the children will have an even more individualized learning experience that will enhance their school-readiness skills.”

Technology studies conducted nationwide indicate that use of iPads by young children help to refine a child’s motor skills, develop their brain and cognitive skills, learn numbers and letters, and engage in interactive books and games. Studies show that a child’s use of iPads supports his or her creativity, offers opportunities for exploration and active play, fosters social co-engagement and extends a child’s learning abilities.

Educational studies nationwide show that electronic devices equipped with microphones are effective in supporting a child’s wonderment; extends authentic learning; empowers exploration; can be used with a multitude of platforms; is inexpensive and inherently motivating. Easterseals’ Shea comments, “The iPad with microscope is one of many learning tools used in our Children’s Academy locations in addition to our student-centered curriculum. They support a child’s creativity, exploration, active play, social engagement and extend a child’s learning experiences and capabilities.”

For Easterseals Children Academy staff, McGinnis points out that, “The iPads’ assessment system will also be utilized as an observation tool for our teaching staff to show growth over time, and the trajectory of learning skills for the children. In the months and years ahead, using these iPads could potentially assist hundreds of economically-disadvantaged and disabled children who Easterseals Children’s Academy serves, which is approximately 300 children annually from ages 12 months to five.”

A future ambition of Easterseals of Central Connecticut is to purchase more iPads with microscopes. McGinnis explains, “We would be able to incorporate a researched-based, reliable and valid assessment tool for our teaching staff while we continue to actively enhance the technology which the children would otherwise not have the opportunities to utilize.”

Currently there are three Easterseals Children’s Academy locations serving Greater Waterbury, 128 Avenue of Industry in Waterbury, serving children from 12 months to 5 years of age; 22 Tompkins Street in Waterbury, serving children 3 to 5 years of age; and 125 Broad Street in Meriden, serving children ages 3 to 5 years.

To learn more about Easterseals Children’s Academy programs, visit http://www.easterseals.com/waterburyct/our-programs/childrens-services. To learn more about Easterseals serving Greater Waterbury visit www.easterseals.com/waterburyct call 203-754-5141 or the Children’s Academy 203-591-1814. Easterseals and its affiliate organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.