Member for Northern Victoria, Mark Gepp recently announced six kindergartens in the Moira Shire area will receive funding through the Building Blocks IT grants program to purchase essential IT equipment to support and improve their learning environment. They include:
Yarrawonga Early Childhood Centre
Punt Road Kindergarten & Childcare Centre
Goodstart Early Learning Yarrawonga
Eilleen Taylor Kindergarten
Goulburn Region Preschool Association
Barmah Outreach Kindergarten
The Victorian Government will fund the latest technology from laptops, iPads to smart TVs to deliver early childhood education curriculum and service administration.
“It is crucial that early childhood education providers have the technology they need to deliver the best possible education outcomes,” Mr Gepp said.
“Kindergarten providers in the Moira Shire area are equipping the next generation of students with the skills and confidence they need to thrive in a technological age, while offering local children access to best practice learning.”
The Building Blocks program supports early childhood providers streamlining grants for infrastructure projects to increase capacity, modernising early learning facilities, creating inclusive kindergarten settings and delivering IT devices to eligible services – all to assist in the roll-out of funded universal three-year-old kindergarten.
Grants have been given to projects designed to improve existing early learning facilities and continue to support early childhood education improve the condition, suitability and IT capability of kindergarten services.
In an Australian-first, the Victorian Government is investing $5 billion over this decade to deliver two years of funded kindergarten for all Victorian children, with the roll-out of three-year-old kindergarten already underway this year.
The technology grants are part of the Victorian Government’s further $27.7 million investment in Building Blocks to continue the support provided to meet four-year-old kindergarten demand, upgrade the condition of existing early learning facilities and ensure kindergartens are equipped with the latest technology devices.