Four Rwandan teens will visit Spokane Aug. 13-20 and WSU Jefferson County Extension and WSU North Olympic Learning Center Aug. 23-25 to receive technology training that they can take back to their homeland and classmates. (Photo: Florence)Their two-week visit to the Pacific Northwest, which includes stints in Pullman and the Puget Sound region, is part of an on-going initiative to help shift Rwanda’s economy toward a foundation of information-based jobs and away from subsistence agriculture.
The students, accompanied by a chaperone (Solange M) from the Rwanda Ministry of Education, will receive training that focuses on entrepreneurism and business practices. (Photo: Moreen)
(Photo, Left: Areille)
The areas of learning include digital photography, networking, trouble shooting, digital embroidery, video conferencing and blogging.
The Digital Learning Commons will also provide a subset of tools for the students to use. While many initiatives in Africa provide hardware and computers, the machines are useless in the long run without the human capacity to repair and maintain them.
The WSU Center to Bridge the Digital Divide is assisting the Government of Rwanda in integrating information communication technology into the country’s secondary schools. For more information: Go to Youth 4 BIT Initiative or contact Colleen Taugher, project director, at 208.305.9970.
(Photo: Dominick)
Tag: rwanda