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• DIGITAL EQUALIZER
• Strategy/Approach
• Program Overview
• Special Initiatives
• Geographic View
• Donors
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• DE in the News
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Program Overview

The challenge of providing modern technologies to under-resourced schools requires a significant investment in different areas of the delivery value chain - strategy, funding, infrastructure, content, training & support, deployment, defining success metrics, monitoring & assessment.

The 3T's that form the cornerstone of the DE program:

Technology: Hardware Infrastructure
A typical DE center contains multimedia computers (a minimum student to computer ratio of 4:1) loaded with Windows/Linux Operating System, power broadband networking, internet connectivity and other peripheral digital technologies (including printers, digital cameras, projection system, digital telescopes, etc.)

Tools: Software, internet and learning tools
All DE centers come equipped with a comprehensive software tools package that includes Open Office, regional language fonts and browser capabilities in addition to grade-appropriate curriculum software and project-based learning resources that emphasize sound pedagogical techniques

Training: Student, teacher and school administration
A fundamental USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of the DE program is the emphasis on self-sufficiency and capacity-building within the school system via training. The DE program includes an extensive 3-year training component intended for the different participants within the school system: students, teachers and school administration. The comprehensive training component includes computer basics, use of popular productivity tools (MS Office, Open Office etc), internet for research, use of email and other digital technologies to help create rich, multimedia content.

Program Delivery
As the DE program has evolved, two distinct program delivery:

• Full service demonstration model: AIF funds and implements the DE center in its entirety as a way to demonstrate the program's effectiveness to the local government and community. The total cost for setting up and running the DE center for 3 years is approximately $20K/center in this model.
• Large-scale partnership model: Once the government and the local community is impressed by the DE program, they agree to provide the start up and most of the recurring costs in combinations of product donation, human and intellectual capital, resulting in a significant (approximately 90%) decrease in the cost.

The DE Difference
What makes DE different from other ICT initiatives is that the hardware is not simply installed and abandoned - fostering intimidation rather than productivity. When AIF identifies a target school, it begins a long-term engagement that promises at least three years of training, mentoring and support. The program's holistic approach towards enriching the learning experience encompasses the following:

• Due Diligence in school selection
  Key criteria:
  • School must be secular
  • Have the basic, necessary infrastructure in place e.g power
  • Willingness to run the program beyond AIF's initial support of 3 years

• Monitoring, Mentoring and Assesment
  • Continuous monitoring of DE Center performance by AIF staff
  • Assisting school representatives in mitigating issues
  • Enlisting external, 3rd parties for ongoing program assessment and quality control

• Involving local communities
  Ensuring that the local community and school administration take ownership of long-term program sustainability after AIF exits. Examples of sustainability initiatives launched by DE schools include:
  • Creating after-school, fee-based vocational training programs for the community
  • Collecting affordable program fee from students
  • Forging partnerships with various government, corporate and other individual patrons for funding

• Knowledgebase creation and sharing of best practices
  • Disseminating best practices among the DE community for the collective gain of the entire program
  • Providing opportunities and forums for the DE Community (teachers, students and administrators) to exchange ideas and information across a global platform - student contests, iEARN conferences, student/teacher global exchange programs, annual AIF summit etc