dot-ORG & Intel Collaborate for Sustainable Computer Clubhouses

Intel Corporation and dot-ORG initiate a collaborative Pilot Project
The dot-ORG project is investing some of its pilot project funds to collaborate with Intel Computer Clubhouses in Brazil and South Africa to design and test strategies and business plans that may enable these Clubhouse and other types of public access centers become sustainable enterprises. To facilitate this collaborative pilot project, Intel and the Academy for Educational Development (AED) signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2002.

Creative Leaning Environments for Underserved YouthClubhouse Girls Day, Mckay School. Photo by Ingeborg Endler
Intel Corporation has initiated an effort to establish three Computer Clubhouse in both Brasil and South Africa. Through partner NGOs in both countries, the Clubhouse will provide creative and safe after-school learning environment where young people from under-served communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills, and build confidence through the use of technology.

At the Computer Clubhouse, youth develop projects based on their own interests, creating computer-generated art, music, and animations; designing their own science simulations; writing and illustrating interactive poetry and stories; building kinetic sculptures and robotic constructions; and designing their own web pages. In the process, youth become excited about learning and fluent with new technologies, developing skills and experiences that will help them succeed in their careers, contribute to their communities, and lead outstanding lives.


Collaborating for Sustainability
Intel's and their partners' investments in these Clubhouses are spread out over four years during which the NGOs hosting these centers are expected to establish mechanisms to sustain Clubhouse activities and to expand the approach to learning to other educational programs. Achieving sustainablity is a challenge for all public access computer and Internet faculties around the world, especially for those in underserved communities. Intel Corporation, dot-ORG and USAID are especially concerned about enabling sustainability of these facilities so that investments to promote digital inclusion continue beyond the support provided by donors.

In response to this need and concern, dot-ORG staff will work in partnerships with staff from the NGOs hosting Clubhouses in South Africa and Brazil to develop and test different strategies and business plans that will seek to enable the Clubhouses to continue and expand their operations after funding from Intel is completed. Once these strategies and business plans are developed, they will be shared via the DOT-COM web site with the development community so that the pilot can benefit from experiences of other initiatives and so that lessons from the pilot can contribute to a global effort to increase and sustain access by underserved people to information and communication technologies.

AED signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Intel Corporation on October 16th, 2002 to guide this collaborative project with Intel.



For More Information, Contact:
Eric Rusten
Project Director, Programa para o futuro
Academy for Educational Development
Tel: (202) 884-8714
Email:

Peter Broffman
Executive Director, Intel Foundation
Intel Foundation
Tel: 503-456-1525
Email:

Related Resource Partners
Related DOT-COM Activity
Brazil - Strategies for Sustaining and Expanding Computer Clubhouses in Brazil

South Africa - Strategies for Sustaining and Expanding Computer Clubhouses in South Africa
Related DOT-COMments Newsletter Articles
Click on USAID's logo to visit USAID
Click on Internews Network logo, to visit Internews
Click on Academy for Educational Development (AED) logo to visit AED
Click on Educational Development Center (EDC) logo to visit EDC
Core funding for the DOT-COM Alliance is provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture & Trade, Office of Infrastructure and Engineering (EGAT/OI&E), Office of Education (EGAT/ED), and Office of Women in Development (EGAT/WID), under the terms of Award numbers: GDG-A-00-01-00009-00, dot-GOV; GDG-A-00-01-00014-00, dot-ORG; GDG-A-00-01-00011-00, dot-EDU.
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