Governor McMaster, University of South Carolina, and Benedict College Announce Statewide Education Initiative With Apple Products
Eight new technology labs across the state will open to the public
COLUMBIA, S.C. —Gov. Henry McMaster announced that the University of South Carolina system and Benedict College are working with Apple to provide critical infrastructure support to students and communities throughout South Carolina who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. McMaster approved the use of $6 million out of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund — part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 — to provide underserved communities with additional resources, including technology and educational programing, to help those whose education or economic situation has been disrupted by COVID-19.
The collaboration will build a new network of learning labs that will feature Apple products and curricula. The network will include hubs in Columbia’s BullStreet District and at Benedict College, along with satellite labs at six of UofSC’s regional Palmetto College campus sites. UofSC Palmetto College campuses are all located within 15 miles or less of a broadband desert, according to the South Carolina Broadband Map, providing reliable technology and internet access to these communities. These labs supplement the statewide efforts undertaken by the Office of Regulatory Staff, which utilized CARES Act funds to expand broadband technology to over 100 South Carolina schools and over 200 communities. This initiative reflects a statewide effort to level the playing field and ensure that all South Carolinians have access to top-tier computing and educational resources.