This week, the Green Bay Packers and UScellular announced the winners of the inaugural $20,000 Tech Makeover Leap of learning program. The Oconto Unified School District received the award during Tuesday’s celebration.
Earlier this fall, Wisconsin educators, administrators and parents were invited to nominate K-12 schools or school districts in Wisconsin through the Leap for Learning program. Nominations require a summary of why the school should undergo a technological transformation and how this will affect students. Oconto Unified School District was nominated by Scott Boucher, Director of IT/Network Engineer, Oconto Unified School District. Scott has worked in the area for 15 years. His role is to collaborate with faculty on their classroom ideas and provide technical hardware and/or software to implement them.
“As educators, we want to prepare our students for strong career paths and futures, and we know technology education and access is a key part of that,” Boucher said. “Thanks to the UScellular, Green Bay Packers, and Leap for Learning programs, this technology upgrade will give us the opportunity to provide our students with state-of-the-art equipment that will facilitate team building and collaboration among students while teaching a skill or solving a problem , critical thinking and innovation.”
Oconto Unified School District plans to use the money to equip Oconto Unified School District with STEAM labs and classrooms where students will engage in hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Collaborative spaces will enable teachers to provide students with real-world interactive experiences in these popular areas.
“Technology is an important part of a student’s educational experience, providing them with easy-to-access information, accelerated learning and fun opportunities to practice what they’ve learned,” said Christine Paulsen, Director of Sales, UScellular. “UScellular cares deeply about our local communities, supporting our youth and future STEM leaders through programs like Leap for Learning.”
The Leap for Learning program attracted more than 239 nominations from across the state. A jury evaluates and scores nominated papers based on the proposed project’s ability to use technology to improve STEM-related education and the innovativeness of the instructional program using technology. Funding for this program is provided in part by the NFL Foundation.
“We’re proud to join UScellular’s Leap for Learning program to help the Oconto Unified School District embrace this much-needed technology transformation,” said Chad Watson, Packers Director of Sales and Business Development. “It’s important to the Packers to support youth and education throughout Wisconsin and ensure students have access to the resources they need to learn and grow.”
UScellular has a longstanding commitment to supporting local communities through donations and volunteerism. Since 2009, the company has donated more than $22.6 million and countless experience and technology projects to non-profit organizations across the country. Additionally, through its After School Access Project, UScellular has committed up to $13 million in hotspots and services to help connect up to 50,000 young people in its marketplace to reliable internet.
For more information on UScellular’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, visit uscellular.com/get-to-know-us/community-outreach.
UScellular is the fourth largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, offering nationwide network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to help customers stay connected to the things that matter most. The Chicago-based carrier offers a robust, reliable network powered by the latest technology and offers a wide range of communications services to improve the lives of consumers, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and increase the efficiency of government operations. Through its After School Access Project, the company pledges to provide hotspots and services to help connect up to 50,000 teens to a reliable Internet.In addition, UScellular has price protectionAll its plans, it promises not to raise prices until at least the end of 2023.To learn more about UScellular, visit one of its retail stores orwww.uscellular.com. For the latest news, visit newsroom.uscellular.com.