<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">One Laptop Per Child XO Laptop Lab and African Culture Celebration:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">Come and try out the laptop for kids that revolutionizes learning in developing countries</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Small Solutions is sponsoring an African Culture and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>XO event on Saturday May 30th 1:30 - 4:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Chuch in the Lower Meeting House on Pleasant Street Newburyport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There will be many XOs to try as well as African food, crafts and music. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">Here is a chance to try out a unique smart robust laptop created just for children. It is called the XO and was developed by the One Laptop Per Child Foundation in Cambridge Massachusetts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is not just a laptop, it is an educational tool that can transform the future of children in developing countries. Over 600,000 of these laptops have been distributed in Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Photos from some of these projects will be on display</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">Children, teachers and families are invited to come and learn, try out games, Turtle Math, make movies, make music or draw. During the afternoon, there will be demonstrations of the learning applications created for the XO and its child friendly interface called "Sugar" by Dr. Cynthia Solomon and Alan Papert.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">Dr Cynthia Solomon is a pioneer in the field of computer science and educational computing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Cynthia, along with Seymour Papert and other created Logo the first programming language for children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She has maintained a long relationship with the MIT Media Lab and the One Laptop Per Child Foundation where she was recently Director of Learning Activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">Alan Papert, an engineer by training, served as president and engineering director in General Turtle, a company formed to provide an early form of the tools provided by OLPC to the education community. He has maintained a keen interest in education and the use of technology for learning.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">There will be a "Create an EcoBag Design" contest using the XO to draw or compose a picture and text on the theme of a Child's Right to Clean Water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The winners will have their picture imprinted on grocery recycle<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>eco bags to be sold to earn money for XO Africa projects.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">Small Solutions believes that technology and access to information is a critical bridge for developing countries to survive economically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In Africa and many other developing countries the youth population is more than 50%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Many of these young people are not receiving the education and skills to participate in the future of their country.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">This event is a benefit for Small Solutions (<a href="http://www.smallsolutionsbigideas.org/"><span style="COLOR: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">www.smallsolutionsbigideas.org</span></a>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>XO projects in rural communities in Africa.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Small Solutions Big Ideas</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">"Education and Connectivity for All"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'"><a href="http://www.smallsolutionsbigideas.org/"><span style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">www.smallsolutionsbigideas.org</span></a></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">Sandra Thaxter</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'">1-617-320-1098</span></p>
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