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The Internet Bridge on the Great Silk Route for Poor Youth - Republic of Georgia

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Launched in March, 2001, this partnership between the President of Georgia and the World Computer Exchange (WCE) (click here for a Programme Description of WCE) and other collaborators involves supplying 3,200 used computers donated in the United States and Sweden to 250 primary and secondary schools with 50,000 students throughout Georgia. This project is an effort to reduce the digital divide between Georgia and developed countries that is being implemented by the Georgian State Department of Information Technologies and coordinated by the Ministry of Education.
Communication Strategies
The Government of Georgia is providing funds to WCE to cover the costs of sourcing the computers, recruiting donated services, providing online and on-site technical training, and shipping. The first shipment was set to leave the United States in October, 2002. Specific activities conducted as part of the larger initiative have included:
  • Establishment of the Georgian-American Distance Education Center at Tbilisi Orbeliani State Pedagogical University
  • Pilot of World Economic Forum initiative, co-led by WCE and Tbilisi Orbeliani State Pedagogical University, to help the latter adapt and develop local content, to maintain the network and computers, and to train teachers in the use of technology and the Internet
  • Pilot of a World Economic Forum initiative involving a local Internet Service Provider (Georgian Research and Educational Networking Association) charging fees for community use of telecenters in schools outside of school hours to assist in funding Internet connection and computer maintenance at no cost for the students during school hours
  • Pilot by virtual volunteers of Inter Connection to train 14 student/teacher teams to develop cultural and historical websites for their schools and then to train other Georgian schools to do the same
  • Pilot by the Informational Technologies Group of the Berkman Center of Harvard University to gather information on the impact of the instructional use of the Internet from the participating schools in Georgia and other countries connected by WCE
  • Pilot by Milton Academy in Massachusetts to send faculty IT trainers to help with configuring the servers and an initial team of students as WCE "Internet Ambassadors". Milton Academy also hosted public computer donation events and meetings with the Georgian Ambassador and the expatriate community from Georgia who are now living in the northeastern part of the US, as well as invited technology students from Georgia to visit Milton Academy
  • Pilot of Georgia-to-Georgia (US state) sister-schools programme (in formation) - facilitated by International Education and Resource Network.
Development Issues
Technology, Youth, Children, Education, Economic Development.
Key Points
According to the International Telecommunications Union as of December 2001, 25,000 of the 5 million Georgians (.5%) are currently on the Internet.

As of February, 2003, 846 computers (of the planned 3,200) donated by WCE have been shipped to the first 60 schools (of the planned 250).

As part of other programmes, WCE has sent thirteen shipments of 3,203 computers valued at $990,000 to 393 schools with 192,000 students in Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Partners

Government of Georgia, World Economic Forum, WCE, Prometheus-Amirani, Tbilisi Orbeliani State Pedagogical University, Internet Access and Training Program of the International Research & Exchanges Board of the Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, Informational Technologies Group of the Berkman Center of Harvard University, Inter Connection, Milton Academy, International Education and Resource Network, Georgian Development Gateway Union, and Georgian Research and Educational Networking Association.

Sources

Press release dated September 15, 2002 forwarded by Timothy Anderson to The Communication Initiative on September 15, 2002; letter sent from Teimuraz Chichua to The Communication Initiative on February 15, 2003.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/30/1999 - 00:00 Permalink

For me it is pleasant to inform about successful beginning of the given project realization. In February, 4 of this year the President of Georgia has passed to the first 60 schools (from planned 250) and to the Georgian-American DEC at the Tbilisi Orbeliani State Pedagogical University 846 PCs, donated by World Computer Exchange.
Dr. Teimuraz Chichua, project author and leader.