User:GJavetski

About Me

My name is Gillian Javetski and I am an intern at OLPC's Cambridge office this summer. I am a senior at Tufts University, where I am double majoring in international relations and community health. I took this past semester off to work at the United Nations Development Programme's HIV/AIDS unit in Geneva. At OLPC, I will be conducting research on UN and international partnerships.

What I Am Currently Working On At OLPC

• 30 June, 2010: Selected and uploaded photos for new Afghanistan blog posts, continued to collect research for UNICEF Afghanistan memo.
• 1 July, 2010: Created a google reader account, went through and read past blog posts on OLPC's work in Afghanistan, began uploading findings onto wiki account.
• 6 July, 2010: Finalized wiki page, worked with volunteers on IRC, continually formatting and editing http://wiki.laptop.org/go/ClassActs/Resources#OLPC_Deployment_Stories, published one blog post, revising other three.
• 8 July 2010: Sat in on a hackfest with students from RIT (so cool!), continued editing and adding parts to the Afghanistan memo, worked with volunteer Shirish about how to improve certain wiki pages, worked with Adam on ClassActs/Resources page.
• 9 July 2010: Spoke with SJ on phone regarding feedback, added an "OLPC in Afghanistan" section to wikipage, created a two page memo on OLPC in Afghanistan with recommendations
• 10 July 2010: Spent a few hours finalizing Afghanistan memo, sent off to SJ and Adam
• 12 July 2010: Reviewed Afghanistan memo, edited Troubleshooting page, visit to MIT Media Lab with Adam (awesome!!)
• 13 July 2010: Worked from home due to class at 1pm. Spoke with SJ on phone, answered a few emails, continued uploading information from Troubleshooting Guide online
• 14 July 2010 (Bastille Day!): Finalizing Troubleshooting Guide, including editing for content and adding hyperlinks, added hidden links, spoke with SJ about UNICEF Afghanistan memo, set up an appointment to speak with Mike Dawson regarding OLPC in Afghanistan
• 15 July 2010: Began applying SJ's feedback to both Afghanistan memo and wiki page, OLPC Salad day!

Other Education Development Initiatives in Afghanistan

Education Development Projects

• Aga Khan Foundation: "AKDN’s activities in education include the construction and rehabilitation of schools, the construction of facilities for two Government teacher training colleges, adult literacy classes, in-service teacher training, the distribution of learning aids, as well as tutorial assistance and extra-curricular programmes in English and information technology. The Network works to support the Afghan Ministry of Education’s National Education Strategic Plan, paying special attention to female pupils and teachers. More than 93,000 pupils and 3,800 teachers benefit from AKDN activities to provide better access to quality education."
• Councils in Jurm Valley: this small corner of Afghanistan has seen vast improvements by using village councils and direct grants as part of an initiative called the National Solidarity Program, introduced by an Afghan ministry in 2003. Particularly interesting to look at the girls’ education component.
• GTZ: Since 2002, GTZ has worked with the Afghan Ministry of Education on a variety of educational initiatives, including supporting the National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan. GTZ is helping improve the conditions for better basic education, teacher training and continuing education, as well as reforming the education sector in Afghanistan.
• PAIWASTOON: an Afghan-International company with a focus on developing sustainable solutions to "Make IT Work For Afghanistan." By specializing in open source technology, localization and online applications, PAIWASTOON seeks opportunities for technology to have a positive effect on as many Afghans as possible, as sustainably as possible. Currently working with OLPCon technical implementation of projects.
• Swedish Committee for Afghanistan: currently supports 45 model schools and 1,1000 community based education classes, where the majority of students are girls.
• USAID has printed over 48.5 million textbooks for grades 1-12 and is reprinting 11 million schoolbooks. Also launched the Afghanistan Primary Education Project in 2003.
  • Just for Fun: two recent reports from USAID on active learning pedagogies and building education support systems for teachers' projects.

Afghanistan Education Resources

• Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR): an organization that serves and facilitates the work of its NGO members in order to address efficiently and effectively the humanitarian and development needs of Afghans.
• Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies: an open global network of representatives from NGOs, UN agencies, donor agencies, governments, academic institutions, schools and affected populations working together to ensure all persons the right to quality and safe education in emergencies and post-crisis recovery.