PayPal Holdings Inc. has announced it will be donating $20,000 to Midland University’s 1:1 program. The 1:1 program is a campus-wide digital learning initiative that puts Apple devices in the hands of each of Midland’s more than 1,200 undergraduate students, at no cost to them.
PayPal’s Innovation Fund grant program was started in 2018 and helps support PayPal’s continued efforts to build innovative programs that serve critical community needs in the financial health space and engage its employees in a meaningful way. Globally, PayPal has over 30 GIVE Teams, and each team is encouraged to nominate up to three organizations they feel fit the criteria.
“The Omaha GIVE Team nominated Midland University and the continuation of the Midland 1:1 program because the program focused on enhancing the learning of students while creating a level playing field for students from across different socio-economic status,” said Courtney Westering, Manager, Community Events and Employee Engagement for PayPal.
Midland 1:1 rolled out in the fall of 2019 and has helped enhance students’ education outcomes, both in and out of the classroom. The program has allowed Midland to provide each undergraduate student and full-time faculty member on the Fremont campus with new iPads and Apple Pencils, free of charge. This innovative approach to instruction has provided students with the technology to help them succeed and allows instructors to become more creative in their teaching methods.
“Our mission for the 1:1 initiative is to ensure all students have the technological tools to succeed,” Midland University President Jody Horner said. “We are so grateful for PayPal, through its Innovation Fund, to invest in our students. Through their generosity, we can continue to make this a reality for our students.”
