(Union County, SC) Carolinas-based nonprofit ApSeed gave out nearly 200 of its custom-built educational touchpads – at no charge – to Union County preschoolers earlier this month at a distribution event.
ApSeed partnered with the Union County School District (UCSD) for the event Feb. 5 at the Union County Carnegie Library in Union, SC. Families were already lined up at the door when the distribution began at 2 p.m. and were still arriving as the event ended at 5 p.m. By the time all the children on-site had been served, ApSeed had given 184 of its pre-K touchpads to excited preschoolers.
“To be ready for Kindergarten, children need to know letters, numbers, shapes, and colors,” says Dr. Stacy Farr, UCSD Dir. of Elementary Education. “The ApSeed is such a helpful tool because it comes pre-loaded with app games that help preschoolers learn those basic skills in such an entertaining and enjoyable way.”
Each touchpad is provided to children at no cost – a value of $163.50 each. Also, these devices do not connect to the internet and they don’t have a camera, making them as safe as possible for young learners.
“ApSeed educational touchpads make kindergarten-readiness fun,” says ApSeed Executive Director, Dr. Julie Morrow. “They are designed specifically to help preschool-aged children become better prepared to start kindergarten by teaching them the foundations of literacy.”
In 2023, ApSeed provided touchpads to four school districts in South Carolina (noted below as “legacy”), thanks to private and public grants.
For 2024, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) recently awarded ApSeed an Innovation Grant for $199,388 to produce and distribute 1,227 touchpads to pre-K students at these six school districts:
1. Allendale County Schools 4. Fairfield County School District (legacy)
2. Chester County School District (legacy 5. Fort Mill City Schools (legacy)
3. Colleton County School District 6. Union County Schools (legacy)
ApSeed partners with childcare providers, school districts, and local or state agencies, to distribute take-home touchpads to any preschool-aged child, but especially to those in federally-sponsored Pre-K, Title 1, and Head Start programs or who are served by the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) supplemental nutrition program.
Since 2016, the organization has delivered more than 25,000 touchpads – free of charge – to children in North and South Carolina, New York City, and even as far away as Zimbabwe. ApSeed is actively looking for more public and private grants to meet the growing need for these devices that have already improved Kindergarten readiness scores for thousands of other children.
“Every child deserves to succeed,” says ApSeed founder, Greg Alcorn. “ApSeed pre-K touchpads boost kindergarten readiness, which can dramatically improve the academic trajectory and the economic mobility of our youngest learners.”
