Heather Ogden, Kelso School District special programs director, said the district was awarded a two-part grant from the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The digital equity grant was created through House Bill 1365, which aimed to make technology in schools more inclusive.
The first round given in spring gave the district more than $74,000 to buy 128 iPads for students who are in special education classes, which they will start using this September.
"The device itself is just easier for everyone to use," Ogden said.
This second round, which the district received earlier this month, of about $48,000 will pay for six hours of training for the district's occupational therapists to learn about how they can use the applications and devices to their students' advantage.
The grant offers districts ways they can fulfill the mission of making technology more accessible while providing high-quality learning.
On top of the grant, the John Moffitt's Charitable Foundation gave a $21,000 donation to help the district pay for subscriptions to various educational apps on the iPads. Some of the apps help students with alternative learning styles that could eventually help them go into a classroom and learn alongside their peers.
Especially for students who have trouble with verbal communication and can easily feel frustrated as a result, these apps can make a major difference in how they express themselves, said district spokesperson Michele Nerland.
"It can be really life-changing," Nerland said.
The devices can also help with fine motor skills and can help serve the wide array of students' needs because of the ability for the technology to be individualized to each student, Nerland said.
The first-round of the grant was awarded to three school districts within the region. Vancouver and Hockinson were the other two recipients.
Educators will also get the chance with training to use the devices as a learning tool, Ogden said.
"We want to have an educational impact," Ogden said.
Sydney Brown is a news reporter for The Daily News covering education and environmental issues in Cowlitz County.
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