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[[Image:OLPCsplash.jpg‎|frame|270px|''Images from Illinois community informatics work in São Tomé, 2008'']]
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== Name of project ==
== Small Step: Project summary ==
Who what when where
=== Project summary ===


Students from the University of Illinois propose to implement the OLPC project Summer 2009 on the island country of São Tomé e Príncipe. The team is currently envisioned to have four computer-savvy undergraduate students who have participated in service learning activities in the United States; some have international experience as well.
Students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) propose to implement the OLPC project June 8 – August 7, 2009, called Small Step. The team which includes computer-savvy undergraduates who have participated in service learning activities, proposes to actively engage São Toméan girls aged 9-12 by providing essential computer literacy skills and experiential learning as citizen scientists/journalists.


In addition to the internship team, University of Illinois staff will provide logistical support during their stay on the island as part of a larger scholarship of engagement project (see http://saotomeproject.wordpress.com for further details on the University projects occurring in collaboration with the São Toméan community). Further, several University students, as part of a service learning course project, will work with the Teachers College in São Tomé to set up a computer lab for the college and to help integrate technology, including XO laptops, and informatics into the curriculum (see http://courseweb.lis.uiuc.edu/~mwolske/lis451/).
STeP UP, an NGO based in São Tomé e Príncipe devoted to the principles of self-help development, will be the team's local partner. In addition, UIUC staff will provide logistical support during their stay on the island as part of a larger [scholarship of engagement project|http://saotomeproject.wordpress.com/]. Further, several UIUC students, as part of [a service learning course project|http://courseweb.lis.uiuc.edu/~mwolske/lis451/], will work with the Teachers College in São Tomé to set up a computer lab and to help integrate technology, including XO laptops, and informatics into the curriculum.


=== Team members ===
=== Team member biographics ===


Team members are undergraduate students at the University of Illinois who are minoring in informatics, a discipline devoted to applied computer science and the effect of information technology on people. These students also have a strong interest in helping African communities by helping build computing infrastructure and training people to effectively use computers as tools of empowerment.
Small Step team members are undergraduate students at the University of Illinois who are minoring in informatics, a discipline devoted to applied computer science and the effect of information technology on people. These students also have a strong interest in helping Africans build computing infrastructure and training them to effectively use computers as tools of community empowerment.


* '''Project lead''' Corey Jackson, International Studies major, Informatics minor, BS 2010
* '''Project lead''' Corey Jackson, International Studies major, Informatics minor, BS 2010
Corey has worked in youth recreational programs for the Chicago Park District. At Illinois, he has served as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Volunteer Illini Projects, the University's community service organization. He manages databases and writes computer applications for the University's Office of Minority Student Affars. He has spent time in China and France and speaks French.
Corey has worked in youth recreational programs for the Chicago Park District. At UIUC, he has served as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Volunteer Illini Projects, the university’s community service organization. He manages databases and writes computer applications for the University of Illinois’ Office of Minority Student Affairs. He has spent time in China and France and speaks French.


* '''Infrastructure lead''' Michael Stein, Urban Planning major, Informatics minor, BS 2010
* '''Infrastructure lead''' Michael Stein, Urban Planning major, Informatics minor, BS 2010
Michael will use his experience, owning and working in a computer repair shop in suburban Chicago, to help set up and manage the server, repair existing computer labs on the island, and train teachers and children on XO laptop use. He will also use his photography skills to integrate geotagged photos that can be integrated into a digital map for an Illinois-led community mapping project on the island. Michael has several leadership roles at the University including Public Relations Chairman and Section Leader of the Illini Drumline, Web Committee Chair of the Student Planning Organization, and Web Committee Chair of the Marching Illini.
Michael will use his experience, owning and working in a computer repair shop in suburban Chicago, to help set up and manage the server, repair existing computer labs on the island, and train teachers and children on XO laptop use. He will also use his photography skills to integrate geotagged photos into a digital map for an Illinois-led community mapping project on the island. Michael has several leadership roles at the UIUC including Public Relations Chairman and Section Leader of the Illini Drumline, and Web Committee Chair of both the Student Planning Organization and the Marching Illini.


* '''Education lead''' Jennifer Regan, Political Science major, Informatics minor, BS 2010
* '''Education lead''' Ashley Adams
This fall Ashley will be starting her first year at Truman State University. She will major in Romance Languages and minor in International Studies. She has a disposition towards service to others and have worked extensively with service agencies in my community. She has also spent the past two summers in São Tomé West Africa with University of Illinois students. There she have taught English as a second language and learned Portuguese.
Jennifer has been a 4-H staff member in Illinois for five years, where she taught science-related activities and was a counselor for girls ages 8-11. She has studied the African diaspora and has taken African history courses as college electives. She has also volunteered for her church's AfriShare program, coordinating donations to their sister parish in Uganda. She has had some exposure to Portuguese.


* '''Technical lead''' Chika Umeadi, Political Science major, Informatics minor, BS 2010
* '''Technical lead''' Chika Umeadi, Political Science major, Informatics minor, BS 2010
Chika works for Applied Technologies for Learning in the Arts and Sciences, the university's administrative computer services support organization, as a technology consultant. He is also a site supervisor for the Illinois Mentor Program, a volunteer service-learning organization that mentors children in the Champaign community. Chika is fluent in Ibo and has intermediate knowledge of the French language.
Chika is a technology consultant for Applied Technologies for Learning in the Arts and Sciences, the university's administrative computer services support organization. He is also a site supervisor for the Illinois Mentor Program, a volunteer service-learning organization that mentors children in the Champaign community. Chika is fluent in Ibo and has intermediate knowledge of French.

*'''GSLIS Representative''' Danielle Ross
Danielle has served as a volunteer working at a local Urbana school art department with grades 4-6. Currently at UIUC, she is working alongside a professor to help conduct research on how GIS can be used in impoverished neighborhoods to strengthen community networks and increase technological awareness. She has studied Pre-Apartheid African history and has taken other supplementary African history courses. Danielle has studied and gained intermediate knowledge of Spanish for 5 years.


=== Dates ===
=== Dates ===
Line 29: Line 30:
June 8 - August 7, 2009
June 8 - August 7, 2009


=== Where ===
=== Location ===


This project will take place on the Luso-African island of São Tomé, the larger of the two islands that comprise Africa's smallest country, São Tomé e Príncipe. It is located in the Atlanic about 200 miles northeast of Gabon. About 140,000 people live on the 386 square mile island, and the official language is Portuguese. The project will involve the distribution of XO laptops to urban and rural locations throughout São Tomé, in each of its six counties.
The Small Step project will take place on the island nation of São Tomé e Príncipe located in the Atlantic about 150 miles northwest of [[Gabon]].


<googlemap version="0.9" lat="0.336454" lon="6.7311" zoom="11" width="450" height="300" scale="yes">
<googlemap version="0.9" lat="0.336454" lon="6.7311" zoom="11" width="450" height="300" scale="yes">
</googlemap>
</googlemap>


=== Partner organizations ===
=== Project ===


⚫
The project will involve the distribution of XO laptops to girls age 9-12 located in urban and rural areas throughout the six political districts of São Tomé. Student team members will collaborate in part with University of Illinois [youth community informatics project|http://yci.illinois.edu/] in the U.S., which seeks to actively engage youth in their communities to take on their most pressing needs. Training will focus both on essential computer literacy skills as well as experiential learning as citizen scientists/journalists. As citizen scientists, girls will develop critical inquiry skills and learn scientific research tools and methods, including geographic information systems, through engaged exploration to bring about positive change in their community. They will have the opportunity to work with University researchers to study and help their community meet its goals as action researchers. As journalists they will be taught essential interview and storytelling skills using projects that encourage them to interview their elders, create written and multimedia oral histories, and tell the rich history and present situations of their country and communities.
* [http://www.stepup.st/ StepUp] NGO based in São Tomé e Príncipe devoted to the principles of self-help development.


⚫
The children are in school until mid-July. School is held in the morning. The first month of implementation will take place in the afternoons. Once school is dismissed for the year, training will be offered in the morning as well.
* [http://www.informatics.illinois.edu/ Illinois Informatics Institute] Academic unit at Illinois that offers the minor in informatics, which all team members are pursuing along with their majors.


=== Partner organization ===
* [http://www.lis.illinois.edu/ Graduate School of Library and Information Science] Academic unit at Illinois that participates in community informatics programs in São Tomé. Their staff will provide support for this project.


⚫
Our local partner will be [STeP UP|http://www.stepup.st/], an NGO that works with grassroots organizations to develop and facilitate community development projects. STeP UP has a history of project implementation and has full support from the national government. STeP UP’s director is São Tomé’s former Peace Corps director. In past collaborations between STeP UP and
* [http://illinois.edu/ University of Illinois] Student team members are undergraduates at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
the University, the project imported 100 computer systems stored at STeP UP’s facilities. This year, the University has been given permission by the Prime Minister to import technology equipment duty free.


=== Letters of support ===
=== Impact ===


⚫
São Tomé has few resources to devote to technology or computer literacy. These laptops will enhance São Toméan education and provide new avenues for learning, especially in the rural areas where the quality of education is significantly less than in urban centers. Per the São Tomé cultural lexicon, “everyone is my cousin,” these laptops will be shared with other children. In São Tomé 48% of the population is under the age of 14. Many girls do not advance beyond primary school because of responsibilities in the home. Because this targeted group is part of STeP UP’s educational program, the Small Step program will encourage parents to allow their daughters to advance in school.
⚫
* [[Media:stepup letter.pdf|Letter of support from StepUp]]


=== Sustainability ===
* '''Who else? Judy wrote one on behalf of I3 for John'''


⚫
STeP UP and the University of Illinois will provide future support for this project. STeP UP will monitor XO usage, provide additional training, and continue to provide financial support for the educational advancement of this group of girls. The University sends student/faculty teams annually to São Tomé where they participate in service learning projects based on technology and informatics. OLPC will be incorporated into future projects, providing maintenance support and teaching these girls additional applications of technology. The intent is to follow them through young adulthood, to build on their knowledge base, and to see how the laptops are incorporated into their lives.
== Proposal ==


=== How will we work with children? ===
=== Communication ===


⚫
The primary language of São Tomé is Portuguese with French spoken by many citizens. Team members will take a two-week intensive primer of Portuguese. Some University staff in São Tomé on other projects during this time have proficiency in Portuguese. STeP UP staff traveling with the team speak English.
⚫
The local participants of the project will be girls ages 9-12 years. The distribution of the laptops will be blended among urban and rural populations. University student team members will collaborate in part with the University’s youth community informatics project in the United States (see http://yci.illinois.edu for project examples and potential curriculum), a project that seeks to actively engage youth in their communities to take on the issues that affect them the most. As such, training will focus both on essential computer literacy skills as well as experiential learning as citizen scientists/journalists. As citizen scientists, girls will further develop critical inquiry skills and learn scientific research tools and methods, including geographic information systems, through engaged exploration to help bring about positive change in their community. Further, some São Toméan girls will be given the opportunity to work with University researchers as collaborators to study and help their community meet community goals as action researchers. As journalists they will be taught essential interview and storytelling skills using projects that encourage them to interview their elders, create written and multimedia oral histories, and tell about the rich history and present situations of their country, communities and members.


=== Budget narrative ===
⚫
The children are in school until mid-July. School is held in the morning. The first month of implementation will take place in the afternoons. Once school has been dismissed for the year (mid-July) the training will be offered in the morning as well. '''How will you make contact with children who don't attend school? Will contact/interest change when schools lets out?'''


* '''Airfare: $11,800'''
⚫
=== Who is our local partner? ===
Two team members will fly to Kigali and then travel through Europe. Other team members will meet them in Europe to fly into São Tomé. Costs for the Kigali team are estimated at $3,500 each. Other member airfare is estimated at $2,400 each.


* '''Sao Tome Lodging: $2,400'''
⚫
Our local partner in São Tomé will be the NGO STeP Up (http://www.stepup.st/). This NGO works with grassroots organizations to develop and facilitate projects aimed at community development. The organization has a history of project implementation and has full support from the national government. The director of STeP Up is the former Peace Corps director in São Tomé and has lived there for over ten years.
Renting a house is most cost effective and should be about $1,000/month, with about $200/month for utilities.


* '''Meals: $3,600'''
=== How will this impact 6-12 year old children? ===
We plan to purchase food in the market place and prepare it at home. Estimated cost is $15/person/day for 60 days.


* '''Transportation: $1,000'''
⚫
São Tomé, like the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, has few resources to devote to technology or computer literacy. These laptops will enhance their education and provide new avenues for learning. This will be particularly evident in the rural (plantation) areas where the quality of educational is significantly less than the urban centers. As in the São Tomé cultural lexicon, “everyone is my cousin,” these laptops will be shared with other children. In São Tomé 48% of the population is under the age of 14. Many young girls in São Tomé do not advance beyond primary school because of responsibilities in the home. Since the targeted group is part of StepUp’s educational program the laptop computers will encourage parents to allow their daughters to advance in school. '''[WHY? is there some history of local support for StepUp that is more important than the daughters staying home? How will this training change the fact that they are needed at home?]'''
A minibus or taxi with driver can be rented by the day. Four-wheel vehicles can be rented through a local dealer. A STeP UP truck can be used for computer delivery. Bus transportation is also available.


* '''Communications: $200'''
=== How will we provide financial support after we leave? ===
Local cell phones will be provided by STeP UP. Minutes will be purchased.


* '''Visa and Exit Fee: $360'''
⚫
StepUp and the University of Illinois will provide future support of the project. StepUp will monitor the usage and provide additional training. They will continue to provide financial support for the educational advancement of this group of girls. The University of Illinois sends teams annually to São Tomé. The students and faculty participate in service learning projects based on technology and informatics. OLPC will be incorporated into future projects with university students providing maintenance support and teaching these girls additional applications of technology that can be used as tools to improve their lives. The intent is to follow these girls through young adulthood and build on their knowledge base and how the laptops are incorporated into their lives.
Visa fee is $70. Exit fee is $20.


* '''Immunizations: $500'''
=== Communication ===
Yellow fever vaccinations are required. Malaria suppressants are highly recommended (costs vary widely depending on personal health insurance).

'''TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET: $19,860'''

=== Letters of support ===

⚫
* [[Media:stepup letter.pdf|Letter of support from STeP UP]]

* [[Media:UnsworthOLPCletter.pdf|Letter of support from the Illinois Informatics Institute]]


⚫
=== Index of links to partner projects ===
⚫
The primary language of São Tomé is Portuguese with French spoken by many of the citizens. Team members will take a two-week intensive primer of Portuguese. Some University staff who will be in São Tomé working on other projects during this time have been there before and and some have proficiency in Portuguese. Staff at StepUp who will be participating in the project speak English well and will be traveling as part of the team.


* STepUP – http://www.stepup.st
=== Description of the project's financial needs ===
* University of Illinois São Tomé Partnership – http://saotomeproject.wordpress.com
* Illinois Informatics Institute – http://www.informatics.uiuc.edu/
* Graduate School of Library and Information Science – http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/
* Youth Community Informatics Project – http://yci.illinois.edu/
* LIS451, Introduction to Networked Systems – http://courseweb.lis.uiuc.edu/~mwolske/lis451/


[[Category:Countries|Gabon]]
'''Paul working on'''
[[Category:Countries|Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe]]

Latest revision as of 13:23, 2 August 2013

Images from Illinois community informatics work in São Tomé, 2008

Small Step: Project summary

Students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) propose to implement the OLPC project June 8 – August 7, 2009, called Small Step. The team which includes computer-savvy undergraduates who have participated in service learning activities, proposes to actively engage São Toméan girls aged 9-12 by providing essential computer literacy skills and experiential learning as citizen scientists/journalists.

STeP UP, an NGO based in São Tomé e Príncipe devoted to the principles of self-help development, will be the team's local partner. In addition, UIUC staff will provide logistical support during their stay on the island as part of a larger [scholarship of engagement project|http://saotomeproject.wordpress.com/]. Further, several UIUC students, as part of [a service learning course project|http://courseweb.lis.uiuc.edu/~mwolske/lis451/], will work with the Teachers College in São Tomé to set up a computer lab and to help integrate technology, including XO laptops, and informatics into the curriculum.

Team member biographics

Small Step team members are undergraduate students at the University of Illinois who are minoring in informatics, a discipline devoted to applied computer science and the effect of information technology on people. These students also have a strong interest in helping Africans build computing infrastructure and training them to effectively use computers as tools of community empowerment.

  • Project lead Corey Jackson, International Studies major, Informatics minor, BS 2010

Corey has worked in youth recreational programs for the Chicago Park District. At UIUC, he has served as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Volunteer Illini Projects, the university’s community service organization. He manages databases and writes computer applications for the University of Illinois’ Office of Minority Student Affairs. He has spent time in China and France and speaks French.

  • Infrastructure lead Michael Stein, Urban Planning major, Informatics minor, BS 2010

Michael will use his experience, owning and working in a computer repair shop in suburban Chicago, to help set up and manage the server, repair existing computer labs on the island, and train teachers and children on XO laptop use. He will also use his photography skills to integrate geotagged photos into a digital map for an Illinois-led community mapping project on the island. Michael has several leadership roles at the UIUC including Public Relations Chairman and Section Leader of the Illini Drumline, and Web Committee Chair of both the Student Planning Organization and the Marching Illini.

  • Education lead Ashley Adams

This fall Ashley will be starting her first year at Truman State University. She will major in Romance Languages and minor in International Studies. She has a disposition towards service to others and have worked extensively with service agencies in my community. She has also spent the past two summers in São Tomé West Africa with University of Illinois students. There she have taught English as a second language and learned Portuguese.

  • Technical lead Chika Umeadi, Political Science major, Informatics minor, BS 2010

Chika is a technology consultant for Applied Technologies for Learning in the Arts and Sciences, the university's administrative computer services support organization. He is also a site supervisor for the Illinois Mentor Program, a volunteer service-learning organization that mentors children in the Champaign community. Chika is fluent in Ibo and has intermediate knowledge of French.

  • GSLIS Representative Danielle Ross

Danielle has served as a volunteer working at a local Urbana school art department with grades 4-6. Currently at UIUC, she is working alongside a professor to help conduct research on how GIS can be used in impoverished neighborhoods to strengthen community networks and increase technological awareness. She has studied Pre-Apartheid African history and has taken other supplementary African history courses. Danielle has studied and gained intermediate knowledge of Spanish for 5 years.

Dates

June 8 - August 7, 2009

Location

The Small Step project will take place on the island nation of São Tomé e Príncipe located in the Atlantic about 150 miles northwest of Gabon.

<googlemap version="0.9" lat="0.336454" lon="6.7311" zoom="11" width="450" height="300" scale="yes"> </googlemap>

Project

The project will involve the distribution of XO laptops to girls age 9-12 located in urban and rural areas throughout the six political districts of São Tomé. Student team members will collaborate in part with University of Illinois [youth community informatics project|http://yci.illinois.edu/] in the U.S., which seeks to actively engage youth in their communities to take on their most pressing needs. Training will focus both on essential computer literacy skills as well as experiential learning as citizen scientists/journalists. As citizen scientists, girls will develop critical inquiry skills and learn scientific research tools and methods, including geographic information systems, through engaged exploration to bring about positive change in their community. They will have the opportunity to work with University researchers to study and help their community meet its goals as action researchers. As journalists they will be taught essential interview and storytelling skills using projects that encourage them to interview their elders, create written and multimedia oral histories, and tell the rich history and present situations of their country and communities.

The children are in school until mid-July. School is held in the morning. The first month of implementation will take place in the afternoons. Once school is dismissed for the year, training will be offered in the morning as well.

Partner organization

Our local partner will be [STeP UP|http://www.stepup.st/], an NGO that works with grassroots organizations to develop and facilitate community development projects. STeP UP has a history of project implementation and has full support from the national government. STeP UP’s director is São Tomé’s former Peace Corps director. In past collaborations between STeP UP and the University, the project imported 100 computer systems stored at STeP UP’s facilities. This year, the University has been given permission by the Prime Minister to import technology equipment duty free.

Impact

São Tomé has few resources to devote to technology or computer literacy. These laptops will enhance São Toméan education and provide new avenues for learning, especially in the rural areas where the quality of education is significantly less than in urban centers. Per the São Tomé cultural lexicon, “everyone is my cousin,” these laptops will be shared with other children. In São Tomé 48% of the population is under the age of 14. Many girls do not advance beyond primary school because of responsibilities in the home. Because this targeted group is part of STeP UP’s educational program, the Small Step program will encourage parents to allow their daughters to advance in school.

Sustainability

STeP UP and the University of Illinois will provide future support for this project. STeP UP will monitor XO usage, provide additional training, and continue to provide financial support for the educational advancement of this group of girls. The University sends student/faculty teams annually to São Tomé where they participate in service learning projects based on technology and informatics. OLPC will be incorporated into future projects, providing maintenance support and teaching these girls additional applications of technology. The intent is to follow them through young adulthood, to build on their knowledge base, and to see how the laptops are incorporated into their lives.

Communication

The primary language of São Tomé is Portuguese with French spoken by many citizens. Team members will take a two-week intensive primer of Portuguese. Some University staff in São Tomé on other projects during this time have proficiency in Portuguese. STeP UP staff traveling with the team speak English.

Budget narrative

  • Airfare: $11,800

Two team members will fly to Kigali and then travel through Europe. Other team members will meet them in Europe to fly into São Tomé. Costs for the Kigali team are estimated at $3,500 each. Other member airfare is estimated at $2,400 each.

  • Sao Tome Lodging: $2,400

Renting a house is most cost effective and should be about $1,000/month, with about $200/month for utilities.

  • Meals: $3,600

We plan to purchase food in the market place and prepare it at home. Estimated cost is $15/person/day for 60 days.

  • Transportation: $1,000

A minibus or taxi with driver can be rented by the day. Four-wheel vehicles can be rented through a local dealer. A STeP UP truck can be used for computer delivery. Bus transportation is also available.

  • Communications: $200

Local cell phones will be provided by STeP UP. Minutes will be purchased.

  • Visa and Exit Fee: $360

Visa fee is $70. Exit fee is $20.

  • Immunizations: $500

Yellow fever vaccinations are required. Malaria suppressants are highly recommended (costs vary widely depending on personal health insurance).

TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET: $19,860

Letters of support

Index of links to partner projects

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