When Apple iPads first hit the market back in 2010, three million were sold in the first 80 days and since then, more than thirty versions of the product (including iPad Mini, iPad Pro and more) have been developed. They have become a commonly used device for individuals and groups throughout the world, utilized for work, school, entertainment and more.

While every Lake Forest High School student and staff member have access to MacBook Airs, for many classes and lessons, the tools and programming found on iPads offer new, creative and educational opportunities to learn and grow. Throughout the past few years, several Lake Forest High School Foundation grants have been awarded to teachers and departments to cover the cost of purchasing iPads and software for their classrooms, opening up a new world of exploration and education for students in various subjects.

Ellen Hegret teaches Animation at LFHS and for years, her students have begged to work with new and different animation programs. They troubleshooted several options and found the best animation software for their classes is Procreate Dreams, an app that only works on iPads. When her students learned this year that they were able to switch to utilize this app, they were thrilled!

The Lake Forest High School Foundation was able to grant more than $24,000 to the department for the purchase of 25 iPad Pros, Apple Pencils and the Procreate and Procreate Dreams software, with the software being a one-time purchase as opposed to a subscription-based program. With more students expressing their interest in pursuing animation in college, these tools will ensure they are well-equipped with knowledge of the latest technology and software.

As one of Hegret’s students noted, “a huge sigh of relief fell over the class when we learned we didn’t have to use Adobe Animate. Everyone was so grateful we would finally be able to use an application that actually worked and didn’t restrict you from drawing your best work.”

Furthermore, students in the school’s English Language Learned Program benefit from the intuitive design, quick translation and flexible features iPads offer, making their general education courses more easily accessible.

“The students have the opportunity to write and annotate photos and notes that are captured directly on the tablet,” Medland said.

“The touch screen makes it easier to navigate through Schoology, Google drive and read, highlight and annotate assigned articles.”

In an effort to help our community learn more about the impact the LFHS Foundation grants have on the educational experiences offered at our high school, we started the Did you know? campaign last year. Be on the lookout for these bits of information via our social media outlets and in the Friday FanScout (keep scrolling when you get that email). All of our posts are also on our website. http://www.lfhsfoundation.org/did-you-know.html

Our current donor list is as of August 29. We will update it again at the end of October. Click on the list to access the list.

We hope you'll join us at Knollwood Club on Friday, May 2nd for this year's Annual Spring Luncheon. This year we are featuring author of The Naked Roommate and Win or Learn (among others) and advice guru, Harlan Cohen. He will also be engaging with students at LFHS as part of a 2024 Grant. Funds raised will go toward future grants at LFHS.