Willard Elementary School in River Forest was declared an Apple Distinguished School for its innovative use of technology.
The award is given by Apple, a technology company, to schools that demonstrate innovation, leadership and educational excellence using technology and reflecting Apple’s vision for learning. The program is by invitation only.
After a rigorous application process, the District 90 school was selected for the 2024-27 program team.
Willard is one of 32 schools in Illinois selected for this honor.
According to the Apple Distinguished Schools program overview, found on the program’s website, the school and school administrators will not only be honored with the award but also have access to collaborate with a worldwide leadership network of “like-minded peers,” be eligible to participate in professional learning opportunities, engage with the Apple Education team and be included in the Apple Distinguished Schools Worldwide Directory among other benefits.
Being part of a global network and having access to other like-minded schools and school administrators will benefit Willard in its continued effort toward greater technology knowledge and integration, said Christine Gerges, interim principal at Willard.
“Educators are constantly growing,” Gerges said. “We learn together and grow together.”
According to Kevin Martin, director of technology for D90, the district was approached to have all three schools apply for the program but after consideration the district decided to pursue the application solely with Willard due to the rigorous application process.
Martin said in the future the district will pursue the program for all three schools.
According to the program’s website, to be eligible schools needed to have an established a one-to-one program using iPad or Mac programming for students and educators in two or more grades, deeply integrate Apple apps, educational apps and other digital resources into the curriculum to create new opportunities for learning, have faculty and leadership be highly proficient in their use of Apple products, and have an established leadership team dedicated to advancing learning.
Martin said the district began introducing one-to-one programming to eighth graders at Roosevelt Middle School about 11 years ago before making their own way to reach all the lower grader levels. Now the district uses technology throughout all grades.
Shanna Castillo, instructional technology specialist, said students use technology that promotes problem solving along with being adapted into the teacher’s curriculum to meet the needs of lesson plans.
Usage has varied from using technology to connect with pen pals in Argentina, creating and printing 3D models for various projects, and even having first graders develop a “mock city” for their lesson plans.
Gerges said the district’s technology integration specialists, one shared by Willard and Lincoln Elementary and one designated for Roosevelt, work with teachers to develop and target the use of technology to address curricular content that is appropriate for each grade level.
“We aren’t going to stop learning,” Gerges said about the plans to continue to drive the district forward with the use of technology. “We aren’t going to stop growing.”
Superintendent Ed Condon said he was thrilled Willard was recognized for “its innovation and thoughtful approach” to incorporating technology into instruction.
“This honor reflects the sustained commitment and passion that our team of educators and technology experts brings to students every day.”