Once again, West Ferris Secondary School remains the apple of Apple’s eye. The tech giant has added the school to its Apple Distinguished School list for the 2024-27 program term. The school also made the list in 2021.
In total, 889 schools from 37 countries made the list, 17 from Canada, with eight from Ontario.
“Schools apply and are selected for this distinction based on their commitment to continuous innovation in education and using Apple products to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning,” the Near North District School Board detailed in a release.
“We believe Apple Distinguished Schools are some of the most innovative schools in the world,” Apple noted on its website. “They demonstrate Apple’s vision for learning with technology — using Apple products to connect students to the world, fuel creativity, deepen collaboration, and make learning personal.”
See: West Ferris school remains the apple of Apple’s eye
The board emphasized how the school’s STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — program highlights “interdisciplinary collaboration, critical thinking, and the use of cutting-edge technology. Students participate in practical projects such as coding, robotics, and design while engaging with innovative learning spaces like labs and maker spaces.”
Apple is a big part of that. To qualify for the list, “all students and educators use Apple devices as their primary learning or teaching device,” the company notes. Further, “students and educators deeply integrate Apple apps, educational apps from the App Store, and other digital resources into the curriculum to create new opportunities for learning,” Apple continued.
“Technology-rich environments support learning goals,” the board noted.
There is no monetary reward for being included on the Apple Distinguished School list. However, the company notes that those listed will have the opportunity to “collaborate with a worldwide leadership network of like-minded peers, be eligible to participate in engaging, relevant, and innovative professional learning opportunities,” and “engage with the Apple Education team.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
