North Vista Elementary, Florence, SC, has been selected to participate as a pilot site in the state's One Laptop per Child initiative.

The One Laptop per Child push is a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Education and the Palmetto Project to provide all the state’s elementary school students with access to a fundamental piece of technology. More than 300 pupils in grades 2 through 5 were given a school-issued XO laptop computer. Students in Marion School District 7 also are part of the pilot project.

Steve Skardon, executive director of the Palmetto Project, said the project’s goal is to educate all students and encourage a strong knowledge of the technology that will be a part of both their personal and professional lives. “They need to see it as not only their friend, but as a way to acquire knowledge and have fun in the process,” he said. Skardon said the laptops come complete with educational software and access to the Internet, which will enable students to explore the world without leaving the comfort of their homes or classrooms.

The initiative is underwritten with private funding and could expand to every school district in the state.