The
Education Connection Project
Low-Cost Home Technology
Computers, Internet Access, Online Development
Can we demonstrate a sustainable and affordable model of delivering technology into the homes?
Approach: Eventually, almost everyone will have Internet and computer technologies in their home. But over the next few years, wealthier communities will enjoy a substantial head-start over communities with fewer resources thereby widening the digital divide. The Education Connection approach is to use a low-cost technique of ensuring that technology exists in the home of every student in a classroom.
The Education Connection Project assumes that everyone has access to a television and almost everyone has access to a telephone. By building a low-cost computer that is built with a combination of new and donated parts, and paying for a phone when necessary, it is possible to ensure that everyone has access to a television, Internet access and a computer in the home. Once we can be sure that appropriate technology is available to every student in the home, we can use that technology for student research, data manipulation, student collaboration, and parent-teacher interaction. Furthermore, by allowing families to purchase the computer at the end of the year, we are ensuring that these technologies continue to be available to the families in the following years while also lowering the cost of this project to the school.
Partners: State of Delaware Infrastructure Projects, DCANet Incorporated, Americorps Computer Recycling KickStart Project of Delaware, The School District of Philadelphia's Techcorps Urban Technology Project, Corporation for National Service's Computer Re-Use Collaborative, Goodwill Industries.
Suggestions: You will need a computer and Internet Access for every student in the class, your staff, anyone that will be working with the students and an additional 20% for spares. How many computers will you need?
The recommendation for school students is to build computers that are identical out of new and used parts, but your needs might be different. Check out the possibilities with local organizations such as Urban Tech, NTR, E-Peddlers and, for Internet access, check out DCANet. The cost of computers in the Education Connection Project are projected to be about $400. At the end of the year they are sold for about $300 for a net cost of about $100 to the project. In addition, there is a cost of Internet access and online development that amounts to about $175 per computer for the year.
Below are some advantage to the project to its partner organizations.
- An Internet Vendor can expect to bring in more customers and the end of the year
- The Public Broadcaster can expect to gain valuable branding from promoting this project on the air
- A corporate partner can find financial and community benefits to underwriting the project both on and off -line
Page last updated on 08/13/00
Send comments to the Education Connection Project Director, Jay Cohen
