Israel’s iPad for Every Special Education Teacher program is gaining momentum. Although the program was launched by the Athena Fund only in November 2015, thus far special education teachers in seven cities and towns, one youth village and three regional councils comprising 32 villages and kibbutzim have received iPads. In addition, each teacher also receives 120 hours of training.

The program is designed to empower special education teachers by enabling them to communicate better with their students, gain access to a wider range of teaching materials, and expose their students to the world of advanced technology.

There are more than 190,000 special education students in Israel – 16% in kindergartens, 50% in elementary schools, and 34% in post-elementary schools. Through the Athena Fund’s new program, about 10,000 special education teachers in Israel will receive iPad computers with specialized software and applications for students with special needs and various disabilities.

The new iPad for Every Special Education Teacher in Israel program joins Athena’s existing programs: Laptop Computer for Every Teacher in Israel (launched 2007), Laptop Computer for Every Kindergarten Teacher in Israel (launched 2012), and einstein™ Tablet+ for Every Science Teacher in Israel (launched 2015).

Major donors to the Athena Fund include Israel’s Bank Massad, which specializes in providing banking services to teachers, the Israel Teachers Union’s Professional Advancement Fund, the Ted Arison Family Foundation, and more.