[kictanet] Grants for African college students

[John Walubengo]

Apologies for cross-posting...but here's an opportunity for University/college students...

walu.
> From: Juma, Calestous <calestous_juma at harvard.edu>
> Subject: Grants for African college students
> To: "'david.dickson at scidev.net'" <david.dickson at scidev.net>
> Date: Thursday, March 12, 2009, 6:17 AM
> BOSTON, MA-- One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is beginning a
> summer grant program in which up to 100 teams of university
> students from around the world will distribute thousands of
> XO laptops to children in Africa this summer.
>
> Partnering with schools and non-governmental organizations
> in Africa, undergraduate and graduate students from around
> the world will provide educational opportunities that
> facilitate self-expression and exploration for children.
>
> OLPC is providing each team with 100 XO laptops, related
> hardware, and up to $10,000 for operating costs. Student
> teams will have the opportunity to attend an orientation
> workshop in Kigali, Rwanda from June 8-17.
>
> Afterwards, they will spend nine weeks in an African
> nation, working directly with local community partners to
> integrate the XO into primary education.
> OLPC founder and Chairman Nicholas Negroponte said that the
> new program "represents a determined effort by OLPC to
> engage university students worldwide in bringing an
> education revolution to children living in some of the most
> remote places on Earth.
>
> By empowering students from a multitude of countries and
> cultures to act as agents of change, the belief that all
> children have a right to quality education -- regardless of
> where they happen to live -- will spread across the
> globe."
>
> To date, OLPC has put over 500,000 XO laptops into the
> hands of children all across the world. The One Laptop per
> Child association developed a low-cost laptop -- the
> "XO Laptop" -- to revolutionize how we educate the
> world's children.
>
> OLPC's mission is to provide educational opportunities
> for the world's poorest children by providing each child
> with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with
> content and software designed for collaborative, joyful,
> self-empowered learning.
>
> The OLPCorps program features a high level of local
> community involvement, as local schools and NGOs will
> sustain the project for years to come.
> ***
> One Laptop per Child - Africa Grant Program  Students have
> played a pivotal role in every revolution, except
> learning.  That will change in 2009.  Through One Laptop
> per Child, student teams from around the world will each
> deploy 100 XO-laptops throughout Africa this summer. If you
> are an undergraduate or graduate student with an interest in
> education, technology or capacity building, our summer grant
> program will provide you with unprecedented hands-on
> experience.  
>
> Student Teams will: • travel to one of the 53 African
> countries of their choosing for 9-10 weeks • participate
> in a 10-day orientation in Kigali, Rwanda at OLPC's
> office• receive up to $10,000 per team for operating
> costs• deploy 100 XO laptops, including hardware and
> support• collaborate with up to 100 other teams as part of
> a life-long global network empowering a generation • send
> a representative to MIT/OLPC's all-expense paid summit
> from October 10-12, 2009.  
>
> OLPCorps Africa Members will be active members of our
> innovative 1 to 1 laptop-learning project and hold key roles
> as leaders in our grassroots movement.  The OLPC summer
> grant program, which is a full-time commitments, begins June
> 8. Teams will work closely with the One Laptop per Child
> team to design and implement XO deployments, join a uniquely
> African OLPC network, and lead a growing social movement.
>  How to apply: For more information on OLPCorps Africa and
> specific application requirements, please visit our website:
> http://laptop.org/en/participate/get-involved/OLPCorps.shtml.
>  Proposals must be received by March 27th. Contact OLPCorps
> (OLPCorps at laptop.org) with any questions or concerns.