The Laptop Group

The laptop group consists of Mark Kinnunen, Roger Matias, and Alison Springer-Wilson. This group will be conducting a project to send laptop computers to underprivileged schools in Ghana. They will deliver these laptops, as well as teach the students and faculty how to use them.

In Africa, there is a continent-wide program requiring students to be computer literate upon completion of secondary schooling. By 2012, this requirement will expand to students completing primary schooling. The requirement has been set by Republic of Ghana Ministry of Education, Science, and Sports. This computer literacy program is seen as a vital addition to the educational curriculum, especially since the world today is almost completely dominated by computer usage.

Unfortunately, numerous villages such as Kranka and Sunyani are poverty-stricken and cannot afford to purchase their own computers. Since the majority of the people in villages such as these have never even seen a computer, they are also unable to effectively teach students about computers and their uses.

The laptop group’s three main objectives are to hand-deliver the laptops, teach the students, and leave knowing that the information that has been taught to them will be passed on to future generations. In a country that faces developmental issues that are beyond the capacity to fix directly, it is important to provide aid that will promote continual growth for years to come.

The computers are low-cost, extremely portable laptops with nearly every capability of a normal computer. They weigh roughly 800 grams (less than two pounds) and have a 7 inch, high resolution LCD screen. These laptops are ideal for this project due to their compact and mobile nature, while still maintaining high quality, performance, and efficiency.