QUINCY — What started as an ambitious goal has become a reality for Quincy Catholic Elementary Schools. (QCES). It embarked on a three-year campaign to raise more than $400,000 to fund the implementation of the QCES 1:1 Teaching and Learning Initiative. Phase one of the initiative has been accomplished with providing an iPad device to every eighth grade student at Blessed Sacrament, St. Dominic, St. Francis and St. Peter schools this school year.

The "Adopt an iPad" fundraising campaign was launched in November 2013, and received a significant boost in early January of this year when the QCES Foundation was selected by the Marion Gardner Jackson Charitable Trust (MGJCT) to receive a $52,000 matching grant. The $52,000 goal was met by April 1 and was exceeded by nearly $30,000 thanks to the generous support of many QCES families and friends.

"The additional $30,000 in donations we received was truly a blessing, as we incurred additional costs for the newer iPad Air devices," said Paul Rittof, executive director of the QCES Foundation.

"The 1:1 iPad initiative in the eighth grade has been a wonderful success in allowing our students to become an invested partner in their own personal learning," Blessed Sacrament School Principal Chris Reichert said. "This tool has allowed students to gain knowledge and showcase it in the manner that best fits their learning style."

The QCES eighth grade students have embraced the 1:1 learning initiative, so much so that the time line for implementing the program is nearly two months ahead of schedule. Not only have the students embraced this initiative, the faculty and staff have welcomed the use of the iPad devices as well. "The 1:1 Teaching and Learning Initiative has been the next logical step in enhancing our curriculum. It has opened many doors for our students, especially in the area of differentiation," commented Lori Shepard, principal of St. Francis School.

Donna Richmiller, St. Dominic School eighth grade teacher, stated, "The iPads in the classroom bring education to life. Children have endless access to valuable information such as the dictionary and thesaurus, which previously were only available in printed format. Interactive technology makes learning more engaging and memorable. Tools such as audio and video recorders can change the way that learning takes place and homework is completed. I love the expressions on my students' faces when they are asked to get their iPads out for today's assignments."

The campaign's second and third phases of the QCES 1:1 Teaching and Learning Initiative will require raising $150,000 in each of the next two years to purchase iPad devices and cases for all students entering seventh grade in the fall of 2015-16 and to purchase the same for all students entering sixth grade in 2016-17. St. Peter School Principal Janet Bick commented, "The integration of the iPads into our curriculum has allowed the students to reach beyond the textbook and to become more organized and engaged."

The Adopt an iPad fundraising campaign for phase two is currently under way.