Tech boost for 784 Victorian kindergarten services thanks to Government grants

The Victorian Government has issued $1.1 million in technology grants to help give three and four-year-old children at 784 kindergartens a tech skills boost through the purchase of additional IT equipment. 

Eight kindergartens in the Swan Hill Rural City Council area will receive funding through the Building Blocks IT grants program to purchase essential IT equipment to support and improve their learning environment, with Member for Northern Victoria, Mark Gepp describing the investment and equipment it will fund as being crucial in supporting early childhood education providers to deliver the best possible education outcomes.

Services who will receive funding through the Building Blocks IT grants program include:

• Robinvale Preschool Centre
• Murray Valley Aboriginal Early Learning Centre
• Shine Bright Kunawaa Kindergarten
• Goodstart Early Learning Swan Hill – Beveridge Street
• Punt Road Kindergarten & Childcare Centre

• Eilleen Taylor Kindergarten
• Yarrawonga Early Childhood Centre
• Goulburn Region Preschool Association
• Barmah Outreach Kindergarten
• De Garis Preschool

Items which may be purchased using the grants include laptops, iPads, and smart TVs which will assist in delivering essential curriculum within the services, as well as supporting service administration. 

The Building Blocks program supports early childhood providers by streamlining grants for infrastructure projects to increase capacity, modernising early learning facilities, creating inclusive kindergarten settings and delivering IT devices to eligible services – all of which in turn assist in the roll-out of funded universal Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

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.

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.

For more information about the Building Blocks program, please see here.