St Mary's High School

Saint Mary's School in Ireland Appeals for Funds to Give Children a Head Start in Tech

St. Mary’s Catholic High School, set in a place of high poverty and social deprivation, has been gifted 75 iPads without the funds to insure and fully utilise them, and is reaching out for help

 

Downpatrick, Northern Ireland -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/11/2013 -- Technology is now the driving force behind economic development, industrial growth and seismic social change. Access to technology has created the Arab Spring, allowed companies to make partnerships with service users across the globe and created a revolution in employment, changing both the way people work and what they are able to work on. It is essential then in times like these that children are educated in the use and possibilities of technology from the earliest age to prepare them for what they will face as adults. St Mary's High School Downpatrick are fundraising to do just that, but need the help of conscientious members of the public to make the dream a reality.

The all girls school was recently donated 75 iPads for educational use, but lack the funds to insure the items and stock them up with educational apps. In this way they are at risk of wasting the potential of both the donated technology and the girls themselves, who without this opportunity could lack basic fundamental proficiencies in technology.

The school is set against a backdrop of high poverty and social exclusion, and many of the parents simply cannot afford to pay the price required to assign their child an iPad. Ireland’s economic downturn is well documented and prolonged, and St Mary’s have created an Indiegogo page to ask the world for help through crowdfunding. In return for donations they are offering fun and innovative perks as a way of saying thank you for supporting them.

A spokesperson for Saint Mary’s High School explained, “It would be a crushing blow if, after such an overwhelmingly generous donation, the school simply did not have the means to make the most of these incredible tools to maximise their positive impact on the education of our girls due to lack of insurance and appropriate apps. All contributions made will make a huge difference to our ability to allow these children access to the kind of technology they simply cannot afford in their homes, and give them a portal that will make a brighter future possible.”

About St Mary’s High School
St Mary’s High School is a Catholic non selective school for girls aged 11 – 18. The school is located in the north of Ireland in the beautiful historic town of Downpatrick, the county town of Down. Downpatrick is home to the majestic Down Cathedral, the burial place of Ireland’s patron saint, St Patrick. Not far down the road is Newcastle, where the magnificent Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea. Their Indiegogo campaign and more details about the rewards being offered for your support can be found here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/may-the-road-rise-to-meet-you

For more information about St Mary’s visit http://www.stmarysdownpatrick.org.uk/