What do St. Viator School in Las Vegas and a prominent engineer —who developed the patent for a heat element used in electric heat — have in common?
Education and accessibility to the latest technology, that’s what.
For the second time in five years, the E. L. Weigand Foundation has made a major grant to St. Viator School that has advanced its technology, resulting in a completely upgraded computer lab and accessibility for students in every classroom.
The E. L. Weigand Foundation, based in Reno, takes its name from the successful entrepreneur and inventor who died in 1980. The foundation was established in 1982 for general charitable purposes, and through its impressive gifts, has left an indelible imprint on the region.
Most recently, the foundation awarded an $8 million grant to the University of Nevada, Reno for the building of a fitness center.
At St. Viator School, the foundation granted more than $75,000 for the purchase of 40 new iMacs, a mini server, licensing software, 12 printers and subscriptions to accelerated reading and writing programs.
The school already had 36 mobile Mac laptops and currently shares 20 iPads between classrooms.
According to Principal Kathleen Daulton, the computer curriculum includes keyboarding, word processing, database and spreadsheet instruction, as well as online research and multimedia presentations. Every classroom is equipped with SmartBoard technology, document cameras and video streaming capabilities.
“All of these items were necessary for our school,” Mrs. Daulton explains, “as ways to enhance learning.”