<p>Hi All,<br></p><p>It is with great pleasure that I wish to announce the
launch of eKindling! Short for Education Kindling, eKindling is the
result of our collaborative attempt to formalize an organization in the
Philippines that will allow us to further our common mission and vision
as a community. Simply said -- This is an education project.<br>
</p><p>Having been conceived through the "OLPC process," eKindling is
supportive of current XO-related initiatives. Projects, partnerships
and volunteer efforts will continue to be encouraged. The <b>FAQ</b> below
provides more detail about the organization and why we are pursuing
this route.<br>
</p><p>Many thanks to everyone who has helped in getting us to this
point. Your efforts are priceless! With your continued support and
collaboration, we can finally see the vision become a reality in the
Philippines.</p><p>
Sincerely,</p><p>Sandeep Chandiramani</p><p><a href="http://www.ekindling.org/" target="_blank">www.ekindling.org</a></p><p><a href="http://www.ekindling.org/" target="_blank"><br></a><a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Project/education_kindling_organization" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p><u><font size="2"><b>Frequently Asked Questions:</b></font></u></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>What is your mission?</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>We are much more than providing free laptops. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Our official <span>mission</span> is to enhance
educational opportunities through open source, learning and technological innovations
for the empowerment of children in the Philippines.</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>What is your vision?</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is an education project, not a laptop project! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thus, through innovations in learning and technology, we
want to empower the youth of the Philippines to become digitally literate,
critical thinkers and productive members of society. In doing so, we believe
that they will be better prepared to tackle the challenges of an increasingly
competitive job market <span>and</span> globalised world as well, as
become an agent of change towards the betterment of themselves <span>and</span>
their communities.</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>How is this different
from other computer classes?</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Most programs teach "computer literacy", which
focuses on the basics such as email, power point, word processing, and web
browsing. Many others use "edutainment" software to teach things like
the 3 Rs “aRithmetic, wRiting, and Reading.” Both of these approaches fall far
short of what's possible with computers. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>We believe that children are creative learners, and as such,
they can construct new knowledge through playful exploration and problem solving.
Our curriculum, which will be based on the methodologies used by OLE Nepal and
Waveplace, will serve to enhance already existing curricula in public
schools.<span> </span>Thus, we do not aim to replace
established curricula. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In partnership with Squeakland and local stakeholders, we
hope to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum that leverages constructivist
approach and that focuses on programming as well as the 3 Rs. Again, this is an
education project. Creating effective educational content and curriculum will
be a primary goal.</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>Why is your name
eKindling?</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the words of the Greek Philosopher, Plutarch, a mind is
not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. We strongly believe this
and as such, we wanted our name “eKindling” (or Education Kindling) to reflect
this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although there are branding benefits to naming ourselves
“OLPC Philippines,” we believe that it would limit our growth. In a rapidly
innovating technological terrain, we want to be able to adopt better
technologies that may help us achieve our mission more efficiently and
effectively. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ultimately, our vision transcends the notion of simply giving
each child in the Philippines a laptop. We recognize that the XO laptop is
simply a vehicle that delivers quality education that each child deserves. We
focus on the mission, not the vehicle. </p><div class="im">
<p> </p>
<p><b>Does this mean you
are not using XO laptops?</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>No, XO laptops are still our primary choice of hardware. In
the foreseeable future, we believe that its design and price still holds a
competitive advantage over all other competing technologies. Thus, XOs will be
the main tool in our pilot deployments</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With that said, we suspect that Sugar on a Stick will play
an increasing role in our future operations.<span>
</span></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>As an organization, we recognize that hardware is simply the
beginning. We put equal emphasis on the software and educational content. OLPC
is simply 1/3 of the equation. Sugar Operating System (Sugarlabs) and
Educational Content (Squeakland) are equally as important. Understanding this
from the onset will increase our chances of success.</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>Who owns this
project? </b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>We firmly believe that no one person owns the OLPC project. The
community, which includes all stakeholders (educators, parents, entrepreneurs,
students, donors, engineers, etc) owns the project. Collectively, community
members are the experts and we look towards them for guidance and support. The
value provided by the community is central to our strategic plan. Thus, to
maintain a sense of ownership and trust, our organization strives to be transparent.
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Learning from the experience of OLE Nepal, we maintain that
this is community driven.</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>Are you looking for
partners? </b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>Yes, we are looking for partners! We are looking for
partners that know how to get things done. They will guide our approach, especially
as we move forward with our small-medium deployments. You know your communities
the most and we look forward to serving them with you. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you are an academic institution, private corporation,
non-profit organization, corporate social responsibility program, or government
department, please feel free to contact us!<span>
</span></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>How can I help? </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>There are many ways you can help!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Right now, we need money. Every dollar you donate will help
us help more children. If you are also a grant writer, please help write
applications for seed funding and deployment programs. Increasing our funds
will increase our capacity to deploy pilots!</p>
<p> </p>
</div><p>We also need help with educational content. Feedback and
input regarding our curriculum would be truly appreciated!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Spread the word in your social networks, blogs, etc. Spread
the word!! We need as much support as possible. Engage! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Follow us on twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/eKindling" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/eKindling</a>. We will
continue to post volunteer opportunities and announcements about new
partnerships, developments, deployments, etc. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>