Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. They use Apple technology to inspire creativity, collaboration and critical thinking in learning, teaching and the school environment, and have documented results of academic accomplishment.

“We are extremely proud to earn this prestigious distinction for an additional three years,” said Dr. Joe Pujol, dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Studies. “The selection of Southeast as an Apple Distinguished School highlights our success as an innovator and a compelling learning environment that engages students and provides tangible evidence of academic achievement.”

Southeast earned Apple Distinguished School distinction through the implementation of the EDvolution Model, a research-based model that focuses on effective and appropriate technology integration. The EDvolution model also leverages the EDvolution Center, an innovation and emerging technology teaching and learning space. The EDvolution Center assists students in solving contextual problems in meaningful ways through the use of technology. The EDvolution Model and EDvolution Center also received the American Association of Colleges Teacher Education  (AACTE) 2022 Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology.

Southeast’s education programs were first recognized as an Apple Distinguished School in 2017 following the launch of Southeast’s iPad one-to-one program launched as part of the curriculum in 2014 to help students majoring in education integrate educational technology into their coursework and use a variety of state-of-the-art teaching tools. Apple also recognized Southeast as an Apple Distinguished School in 2019.

For more information about Southeast's Educator Preparation Program visit https://semo.edu/colleges-departments/education-health/educator-preparation.  For more information about Apple Distinguished Schools, visit https://www.apple.com/education/k12/apple-distinguished-schools/.