3,000 special education and kindergarten teachers in Israel received iPads in 2017 as part of the Athena Fund‘s iPad for Every Special Education Teacher program. In addition to the iPads, the teachers were provided 120 hours of techno-pedagogical training. The iPads for special education teachers were distributed in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Be’er Sheva, Kfar Saba, Eilat, Kiryat Gat, Dimona, Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias, Beit She’an, Tamra and Um el-Fahm. In addition, teachers in the Bedouin regional councils of Hura and Neve Midbar also received iPads.

The program is designed to empower special education teachers in Israel and enable them to communicate better with their students. In addition, the program provides access to a wide variety of teaching materials.

The distribution of iPads in 2017 was made possible thanks to contributions from the Athena Fund and its partners: the Israel Teachers Union’s Professional Advancement Fund, Bank Massad, Israel’s Ministry of Education, the United Israel Appeal of Canada, the Ted Arison Family Foundation, the Sylvan Adams Family Foundation, Mifal Hapayis (Israel’s national lottery) and the local authorities.