[Olpc-open] NOW: Contributors Program Mtg! (#olpc-meeting, 2PM EST TUES)

[Holt]

Please all join NOW!
Reviewing the latest OLPC/Sugar community projects over IRC Live Chat:
http://forum.laptop.org/chat      (2PM EST Boston Time TUESDAY)

Then type at bottom:
/join #olpc-meeting


AGENDA:

* Fast Review of the 4 latest (greatest!) HW/Project Proposals -- please
  join us advocating for, and/or reviewing shortcomings of these proposals:

  1. Project OLPC in British Columbia, Canada
  2. Undercover UXO: Mine risk education game for deployment in Cambodia 
- Michigan State Univ, USA
  3. Westview XO Computer Club and Lending Library - North York/Toronto, 
Canada
  4. Amagezi Gemaanyi Youth Association - Uganda / Univ of S. 
California, Los Angeles, USA

* Which projects might you enjoy Mentoring below?!
  http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects
  http://rt.laptop.org/Search/Results.html?Query=Queue=%27contributors%27

* New projects & libraries -- teaching them Community Outreach:
  http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO_Laptop_Lending_Libraries


1. Project OLPC in British Columbia, Canada
   http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=52418
   [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

   Requests 5 XOs over 12 months

   Project Objectives:
   In BC there are approximately 300,000 elementary students. Statistics 
says
   19% of these kids live in poor families or under standards status. 
This can
   lead us to the fact that another 50% are middle class families who 
could not
   afford to buy 500$ laptops or computers for their kids, So hypothetically
   between 150,000 students can benefit from this project and their 
OLPCs can
   be acquired in mass quantities thru the school districts.

   In two largest cities of BC, i.e. Surrey and Vancouver, there are at 
least
   100,000 students which optimistically most of their families are able 
to pay
   250$ for a laptop, if a program provides and facilitate the job.

   So I have started a campaign to promote OLPC awareness in BC. It is
   important to assert that this is an independent 100% non-profit personal
   activity. Once it was successful I will turn it to an Organization.

   The project objectives are Presenting and Promoting and Providing 
OLPC as an
   option to school districts for families and children of 6-12 years in 
these
   communities:

   1- Surrey District SD36 (67,000 students with 40,000 of them elementary
      students) : Short term (1 yr)

   2- Greater Vancouver (200,000 students) : Mid Term (2 yr)

   3- Province of British Columbia Canada (300,000 students): Long Term 
(3 yr)


2. Undercover UXO: Mine risk education game for the $100 Laptop for 
deployment in Cambodia - Michigan State Univ, USA
   http://coreybohil.wordpress.com/projects/uxo/
   http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=52504
   [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

   Requests 5 XOs over 12 months

   Project Objectives:
   We propose an innovative new approach to mine-risk education that
   capitalizes on the increasing availability of mobile digital devices 
such as
   laptops and smart phones. Specifically, we intend to create a video 
game to
   be played on platforms appropriate for developing countries such as 
the $100
   Laptop. In the first phase of a multi-country effort we propose to build
   upon and finalize an existing M.I.N.D. Lab prototype of the mine 
detection
   game, and conduct a field test in Cambodia with our partners on this 
project
   (Golden West Humanitarian Foundation). This will allow us to create a
   finalized version of the game that is ready for worldwide deployment 
on the
   $100 laptop and a wide range of other portable devices. The game is
   customized to training sites by making use of images from native locales.

   The repeated usage, competition, and addictive nature of game play holds
   great potential for training children to avoid landmines and other
   unexploded remnants of war in their home country. The game offers an
   unprecedented level of immersion, repetition and engagement in mine risk
   education. These features of digital media make this approach potentially
   very valuable in the toolset for teaching and transferring 
recognition and
   avoidance behaviors to the real world.

   The central goal of this project will be to take our existing game
   prototype, which garnered extremely favorable responses at a recent game
   conference (Meaningful Play 2008), and develop it further so that it 
can be
   deployed widely and effectively by GWHF. The game needs additional 
features,
   revisions to improve usability, substantial code optimization to improve
   performance within the constraints of the OLPC laptop, and image
   customization work to support delivery to the first planned testing 
site in
   Cambodia.


3. Westview XO Computer Club and Lending Library - North York/Toronto, 
Canada
   http://bforsyth.wikispaces.com
   http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=52523
   [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

   Requests 8 XOs over 12 months

   Project Objectives:
   We would like to start a computer club which would focus on promoting the
   use and development of open-source software and educational projects 
such as
   the creation of wikispaces and online collaborations with international
   students. The lending of XO laptops to the students would enable them to
   pursue their projects outside of school hours and promote meaningful
   engagement in the process. Bill and I would assist by providing 
direction on
   projects and assisting students when required.

   Students will be encouraged to organize occasional fundraising events at
   school (e.g., Computer Club Open House, bake sale, etc) in order to 
support
   the OLPC project.


4. Amagezi Gemaanyi Youth Association - Uganda / Univ of S. California, 
Los Angeles, USA
   http://rt.laptop.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=52549
   [SPECIFIC SITE NEEDS TO BE POSTED OFF 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects ]

   Requests 10 XOs over 20 months

   Project Objectives:
   The primary objective is to promote the Amagezi Gemaanyi Computer Lab as
   a safe learning space for children (ages 6-11) and youth (ages 12-20) by
   implementing a project that will supplement the Ugandan Primary and
   Secondary School reading, writing, and mathematics syllabus using the
   interactive games and applications within the XO laptop as a fun,
   innovative teaching aid.

   1. To enhance the functionality of the Amagezi Gemaanyi Computer Lab

   2. To improve the performance of 100 children/youth (ages 6-20) in
      English reading and writing proficiency

   3. To improve the performance of 50 children (ages 6-11) in basic
      Mathematical operations (including addition, subtraction, division,
      multiplication, and ratios)

   4. To provide a safe, nurturing, personalized learning environment

   5. To teach 100 children/youth how to utilize basic typing programs

   6. To enhance the digital literacy and technological communication
      skills of all project participants
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