On the road again [2014-05-03]
We had a very productive trip to Northern Cebu on Monday to evaluate schools for implementation of the Reneal IEO low-cost computer infrastructure. It was a long, eventful day with school visits in Daanbantayan, Medillin, and Bogo City. Our team traveled to and fro by V-hire van, trike, bus, private car, trike, and eventually back home by bus. We were graced with assistance from old friends and new. Through quick action of the Reneal IEO board of directors, we were able to select one more school for installation this year: Daanbantayan National High School. The other schools we evaluated will be included in our consideration for 2015 projects.
The area that we traveled through Monday was severely affected by Typhoon Yolanda back in November of 2013. The damage is still sadly evident; every school that we visited had numerous roofless classrooms. Multiply that by the huge number of elementary and secondary schools in the area, and it’s clear that it may be years before everything is repaired. On a related note, our hats are off to the Aboitiz Foundation (www.aboitizfoundation.org) and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (www.rafi.org.ph) for their incredible philanthropic efforts to speed the recovery process. We are thrilled to be partnering with Aboitiz in our efforts.
How does one judge between so many schools that are in need of computers? When we visit, we use a formal checklist that outlines our criteria. Reneal IEO looks for public schools with a larger student population but a smaller number of computers (or older computers that are slow) – schools that really need more IT lab seats. Historically the focus has been on secondary schools since many of the resources on the system are for those grade levels, but there are some elementary school projects as well. We look for schools that are either on the national road or near enough to it that public transportation is available. Schools are expected to provide secure IT lab space, tables and chairs, on-going IT lab maintenance, and of course a strong commitment to educational use of the system to benefit the students and teachers of the school. Most importantly, we look for school heads and IT teachers with a broad vision for using computers – not just teaching students how to use this year’s flavor of Microsoft Office, but using computers in all subject areas at the school. Schools must commit to using Open Source software, and schools are forbidden to place pirated software or files on computers donated by Reneal IEO. For schools that are selected, Reneal IEO provides the needed computer equipment and also training for the teachers and for the system administrator. It is Reneal IEO’s philosophy that this is a long-term partnership with the school, not a one-time donation without further interaction.
We will visit and evaluate more schools in the coming three weeks to complete our pool of candidates for 2015. The Reneal IEO board of directors will then consider the data and will rank schools for 2015 projects. The number of schools that can be completed depends on the resources that can be mustered. Our biggest need is used laptop or desktop computers that can be deployed as clients in the low-cost computer system. See our “How to Help” page for minimum specifications. Monetary donations help to buy other needed equipment such as the server computers, network switches, surge protection, and so forth. A typical server costs $500, with gigabit network switches costing about $100. A donation of $3 can buy a mouse for a lab. Any amount helps!
I can’t end this entry without conveying our deepest thanks to our trip companions for a long day of hard work: Ma’am Nerry Bugtai and Ma’am Lisa Pepito from Compostela National High School and Reneal IEO intern Jade Reyes. And even though he couldn’t join us, we are deeply grateful to Rogie Abala from Aboitiz for helping to identify candidate schools. We also very much appreciated the time, hospitality, and assistance offered by principal and teachers at the schools we visited.