OLPCorps PepperdineUniversity SouthAfrica
Our Mission
We are a group of MBA students from Pepperdine University and will be implementing 100 XO laptops in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. We will be working with the Vanderkemp Primary School there and with the help of our local support, Adventures in Missions, we will be able to successfully implement, sustain, and maintain an invaluable program to the future development of the students.
Team Members
| Name | Concentration | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Allen | Business Management,
Leadership and Change Management |
VP Administrator | benjamin.m.allen@pepperdine.edu |
| Jennifer Edwards | Business Management, Finance | VP Finance | jennifer.m.edwards@pepperdine.edu |
| Mary Harrison | Business Management, Finance | VP Development | mary.harrison@pepperdine.edu |
Pepperdine University--Graziadio School of Business and Management
Draft Proposal
We are a group of MBA students from Pepperdine University and will be implementing 100 XO laptops in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. We will be working with the Van Der Kemp Primary School there and with the help of our local support, Adventures in Missions, we will be able to successfully implement, sustain, and maintain an invaluable program to the future development of the students.
Beginning the week of June 22, our team will begin an introductory program at the school that will be intended to create excitement and buzz around the laptop program. The following week, the beginning of the students month long holiday, would be an intensive instructional course for the teachers and administrators. This training would be intended to integrate the laptop into the other learning curriculums of the school. We have communicated with Mrs. Debbie Jeptha, the principal of the school, and she has assured us that the teachers and students will want to participate during their holiday. Beginning July 6, we will facilitate 2 weeks of learning opportunities and experiences for the children to become acclimated and familiar with the technology and laptops. When school resumes July 20, our team will continue to work with teachers and students in the class rooms to integrate the XO laptops.
Our local partners are Ken and Judy Kendall-Ball, the coordinators of Adventures in Missions (AIM) in South Africa. They will be instrumental throughout this process; they have connections in many of the schools in Port Elizabeth, as well as connections with important government officials. With their cooperation and guidance, this program will be a success. As coordinators for AIM, they constantly work with young college students who come for missionary work and teaching. There will be an AIM team working in Port Elizabeth while we are there, and they too will provide support during this process. After our Pepperdine Team is gone, AIM teams will continue their work in Port Elizabeth and will be able to sustain the development of the program. Currently, there is an AIM student teaching at the Van Der Kemp Primary School; her help will also be imperative in connecting with the students and other staff. Also, she, and the coordinators, have vast experience preparing curriculum and executing learning projects. Over the next few months, our team will be in constant communication with Ken and Judy to address all potential issues our implementation might face and we will continue to refine our plans and curriculum for the teachers and students.
This project and implementation will be invaluable to the further development of these children. The students will be able to leverage their learning experiences and will make them more competitive in a flattening world. Students will be part of a greater community of OLPC users. Aligning with the principles of One Laptop per Child, each student will be able to take ownership of their education and the technology. At school, the computer will be theirs; in speaking with our partners, we feel that students should not take the computers from the school. Our greatest concern would be making the students targets for theft or violence, and because of the economic and family situations of many students, giving them a laptop to take would potentially do that. By exposing students to this technology at a young age, it prepares them to use it later on and begins the saturation process. Also, it increases their ability to be connected and grow together as they personalize and adapt the technology to meet their growing needs. This connectivity will allow students to openly dialogue and communicate, and provide them a place to record their thoughts and ideas, and to share those ideas with others.
Our financial needs are outlined in the following budget. Thanks to our partners in Port Elizabeth, we will have host families to house us during our time in South Africa.
Due to the connection with AIM and the student missionaries who will continue to travel there, the continued support of this program through personal interaction will be more beneficial then monetary support. Also, our team’s ability to leverage our experience and spread the message about One Laptop per Child will also go a long way in continuing the mission and vision of the organization. We have the approval of our University to organize and conduct a business case competition next spring; this competition will help address potential challenges the program faces in the future and will encourage the Pepperdine community to take part in our goals and mission.
Budget
The following budgets outline our expenses for the 9 weeks we will be in Port Elizabeth. The "OLPC" budget are the expenses associated with our perceived needs. The "Stipend" budget reflects financial support available through Pepperdine University that will be used to fund additional operating needs.
OLPC
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Plane Tickets | $9,000 |
| Visa | $0 (none needed) |
| Vaccinations and Travel Insurance | $210 |
| Food and Utilities | $750 |
| Transportation | $40 (for gas) |
| Lodging | $0 (host families) |
| Total | $10,000 |
Stipend
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Truck or Car | $3,500 |
| Solar Panels or Generator | $3,586 |
| Modem | $300 |
| Internet Air Time | $114 (6 months at $19/mo) |
| Total | $7,500 |
Partner Sponsorship Letter
We have learned that a team of MBA students from Pepperdine University is interested in implementing 100 XO laptops with impoverished schools here in South Africa. Your objective is to enhance the education and development of students aged 6–12 and to promote ownership of technology which will enhance their educational achievements.
We are involved with local schools, and we have many connections with government officials and educational role players throughout the province. We are supported in our work with various schools by a team of apprentice missionaries enlisted through the Adventures in Missions program connected to the Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock, Texas. This support is ongoing and will provide a base for sustaining the project you plan to initiate.
Therefore, we invite the team from Pepperdine University--Benjamin Allen, Jennifer Edwards, and Mary Harrison--to join us in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province for the duration of your visit to South Africa.
We have identified Van Der Kemp Primary School as the institution with which the team can work.
We can offer accommodation with a host family, and easy access to the institution named. We already have at least one AIM student working in this school. Incoming teams of AIM students will be added to the support to foster continuity.
We understand that the team will train both educators and learners (these are the terms used here in education rather than the more familiar “teacher” and “student”) in using the computers to integrate their curriculum and educational goals with the programs installed on the XO laptops.
Ken & Judy Kendall-Ball
AIM Coordinators, South Africa
Detailed Implementation Plan
Upon our arrival in Port Elizabeth, we will go with our sponsors and pick up the shipment of XOs from customs. As outlined in our proposal, we will spend a week setting up the laptops and generating excitement in the school. This promotion period will be help foster further buy-in and support on behalf of the students, teachers and staff. Following this period, we intend to hold 1 week of intensive training/learning for the teachers and administrators of the Van Der Kemp Primary School. Once the staff is familiar with the curriculum and laptops, we will facilitate a 2 week XO camp open to all primary students at the school. This camp will be used to familiarize the students with the technology in a fun and captivating way. These 2 weeks will consist of basic computer care and use and will add to the continued success of the program.
Once school has resumed, the focus will turn to a more academic use of the laptops. During the week, we will work with teachers in the classrooms of the targeted students and will help facilitate further learning using the XO laptops. To provide access for other students, we will hold and facilitate day camps on Saturdays. This will help continue the learning experiences that began during our 2 week camp during the school holiday.
Targeted Students
After communicating with the school and our supporters, we have decided to target first and third grade students at Van Der Kemp Primary School. There are currently 40 first grade students and 60 third grade students. These students would be the target of our class room learning.
Laptop Ownership
As stated in the project proposal, we do not think it is best to allow the students to take the laptops off school grounds. In speaking with our supporters at the school and with AIM, they expressed great concern about the security of the children. From their experience at that location, they both said that allowing the students to take the laptops off school grounds could possibly make the children targets for violence and theft; the safety of the student is our first and top priority. Once the laptops have been installed and the children and teachers have learned to use them, our supporters will then reevaluate whether or not it would be safe for the students to take the computers away from the school.
Furthermore, the school has recently finished the construction of a new, more secure facility that will house the laptops and associated equipment under lock and key. This will prevent theft while further ensuring the success and sustainability of this project.
Internet Access
Currently, the school is not equipped with internet access. However, they are in an area with internet coverage and our hope is to establish a secure connections before we depart. Costs for airtime and modems have been estimated and are included in the "Stipend" budget. For about $20 a month and a one time purchase cost of $300 for a modem, the school can be connected to a 3G network. Currently, we are committed to providing 6 months of internet access after which we will evaluate the success and discuss future funding.
Partnering Organization--Adventures In Missions (AIM)
The Adventures in Missions program is a chance to make a difference in the world. As part of the Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock, TX, AIM is an apprentice missions program for college-age young people. The Adventures in Missions program is a focused effort by and for Christian young men and women to work together to strengthen the church and bring the lost to Christ.
For more information, go to website: Adventures in Missions