Connecting kids with SolarSchools
Project description
? The concept of Solar Schools: Thanks to solar panels, schools are able to set-up structural relationships with each other. The solar panels in The Netherlands will generate a stable income for maintenance and education in Cambodia. Children communicate through images (drawings, pictures, movies, pictographs) with each other. The project
The sun will connect children over the whole world with each other. Children not only make use of the same sun, but thanks to solar power they will learn from each other. They will send messages to each other, and become acquainted with their cultures. We set up the project SolarSchools to enable this. Solar panels will supply energy for computers in Cambodia. Kids from rural areas will be introduced in working with computers in their own playful way. Through an internet connection and an understandable internet connection, they will make contact with Dutch age fellows.
Planning
In 2011 the project SolarSchools will be executed as an experiment. We will establish a relationship between a Dutch “Solar School’ and a Cambodian school. Through personal relationships between kids, development co-operation will become concrete. We will develop a website that facilitates kids-contacts through images. The financial value of the Dutch panel’s energy production will be transferred to Cambodia to maintain the system.
The SolarSchools pilot project
Not far from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh is the village of Srê Ampil. People live from rice and fishery. Many kids live at their parent’s home, and 70 live in the Peaceful Children’s Home, an orphanage. A few years ago, Pico Sol supported the orphanage with the power supply of a school. The kids get English lessons. Now we will support the orphanage to enable computer lessons. ICT skills will improve the kids’ opportunities at the labor market. p>
Co-operating parties
The Dutch Pico Sol Foundation is initator of this SolarSchools program. Happily, the foundation is not solitary in the attempts to bring the project into a success. A list of fruitful co-operations has been established to enable the pilot project:
- The association of Sustainable Soesterkwartier is initiator of the solar project at one of the primary schools in the Amersfoort quarter Soesterkwartier, where the pilot will be part of it.
- Solar panel manufacturer Scheuten Solar donated solar panels for the pilot (and even more schools that will follow);
- Twente University, Department of Industrial Design: In the summer of 2010 the graduate student Judith School Uiterkamp elaborated on the concept in a design study.
- The Dutch donor organisation Net4Kids provides a subsidy to realise the Cambodian part of the project.
- The company ICT4schools supports the project by providing internet and human capacity for the development of a website.
- We as Pico Sol Cambodia will organize the Cambodian part.
- The Khmer Foundation for Justice Peace and Development, the Cambodian NGO running two orphanages, participates in the project with their school.
Budget
Het budget needed for this project is $ 40000
News items
-
Making photos in the SolarSchool lesson
Srê Ampil, 10th May 2012 On the 10th of May and the 11th of May the third lesson of SolarSchools took place. Because the children had to ma
-
Opening Solarschools
Srê Ampil, 27th April 2012 This Friday the official opening of the SolarSchools computer classroom took place.
After years of
-
Drawing in the SolarSchool lesson
Srê Ampil, 19th April 2012 Today the second lesson of SolarSchools took place. In this lesson the childr
-
The first themed SolarSchool lesson
Srê Ampil, 9th April 2012 On Monday the first themed SolarSchools lesson took place. During an introductionlesson, they already skyped with
-
First Solar Schools class
Srê Ampil, 26th March 2012 Last week the first Solar Schools computerclass was given to one group of children from the Khmer Foundation
-
Solar power - girl power
Sré Ampil, 8th of March 2012 Today, during international women’s day, all the girls joint together to make paintings for the solar powere
-
Computers SolarSchools installed
Sré Ampil, March 2012 Last week, Ruud Bredewold, from ICT4schools, installed together with the Pico Sol and Khmer Foundation staff the comp
-
Solar Schools computers arrived in Cambodia
Srê Ampil, 13th January 2012 Last week the Solar Schools computers arrived in Sré Ampil.
On Tuesday finally some important ma
-
Judith graduates on SolarSchools
Enschede, 3 September 2010 Judith finalized her design assignment 'SolarSchools'. A well earned 9 as final note is her reward for 5 months o