We commit to forming a partnership with a rural school in The Philippines to provide the students with computers, Internet access and books over two years, to encourage both traditional and digital literacy.

Goals

I believe literacy is a basic human right, and one that is essential to reach our full capacity as active global citizens. On a 2006 family trip to a Philippine village on Samal Island near my mothers hometown, my twin sister and I spent Christmas day giving local children gifts. We were amazed at their joy and wanted to do more. We saw a small school in the village, and as we waved to the students we received huge smiles and waves from dozens of joyous children. Yet, we noticed their learning resources were few, and this commitment to action is founded on the belief that the opportunity to learn to your full potential is a universal right. Through education and access to information, children can lead more empowered lives. In a knowledge-based age both traditional and digital literacy are vital. To achieve this commitment, the specific goals over two years are to:

1) Collect and send ten computers to the school and the relevant software and programs. This can help form an understanding about digital literacy, and lead to greater opportunities for the students to harness technology for positive learning and knowledge-building.

2) Expand the school library through sending five boxes of books and reading materials - both in English and Tagalog.

3) Provide the school with two cameras and a printer to encourage creativity and team projects that involve pictures. This further builds on digital literacy and supports creativity, team work and thinking-skills.

4) Establish regular contact with the school teachers to encourage the productive use of the resources and literacy outcomes among the students. This can ensure the project is not an intrusion, but a valued and harmonizing part of the school. This goal will include asking the teachers to complete two evaluation reports per year to assess how the program can be improved to better support the school.

5) Increase our awareness of how to implement the project through locally appropriate and sensitive practices. This will begin with a detailed project plan to be reviewed throughout the year. Progress reports will also be completed to serve as a critical analysis of whether the goals are being met and what areas could be improved.

This commitment to action aims to be a long-term positive outcome in the lives of young people and their communities - namely, to support them in becoming active, creative and determined young people who think beyond what barriers they may face. Literacy is vital for participating fully in a knowledge age, and I believe technology cannot be seen as a far-off step in poverty alleviation. While access to food, water and shelter are of chief importance, technology can be leveraged to assist these needs - for example, by providing information on healthcare or crop growing techniques, or enhancing entrepreneurial activity. The value technology and information access can create differs across social, cultural and economic situations, yet the clear message is that literacy in all its forms is a constructive advantage for all people. It is hoped this project encourages others to realize the value of literacy and inspires them to join in this commitment or begin their own commitments.

Plan

The five goals will be met through the following ways:

Goal 1) Send a minimum of ten computers to the school and the relevant software and programs:

Through networking and negotiating with community groups, organizations, friends, family and universities, the required resources will be obtained by collecting unneeded yet still functional laptops and computers. Once these are established, connection to the Internet is a further step, in order to support students in using the Internet as a positive learning resource for communication and information access.

Goal 2) Expand the school library through sending at least five boxes of books and reading materials:

The resources will be collected from donations and second-hand book stores. The resources will be appropriate for primary school children as well as culturally sensitive, and will try to be a balance of both English and Filipino material. To make the partnership more personal, we will send letters of greeting with the books, and this may help them to value reading and help each other to learn.

Goal 3) Provide the school with at least two digital cameras and a printer to encourage creativity and team projects that involve pictures:

These materials will also be sourced from family, friends and donations. To encourage creativity, it will be suggested that the school children work together to produce a newsletter with photos or other projects that can be shared with family and friends during the year. This may help promote the involvement of the whole family in the learning process.

Goal 4) Establish regular contact with the teachers through the completion of two evaluation reports per year:

This will be achieved through co-operation with the teachers and listening to what ideas and concerns they have for the project. To help the teachers complete the evaluation reports, a pro-forma can be provided for them to fill out.

Goal 5) Increase awareness of how to implement the project through a project plan and progress reports:

This goal will be reached by researching Filipino culture and social values and what impact the technologies and learning resources this project may have on the school. To form a greater understanding the school and its needs, a profile of the school will be formed with the help of my Filipino mother and local relatives. This commitment is grounded in ensuring it is not seen as a threat to local learning. Rather, it is a chance to enrich the learning environment of the students, and give to them what has helped me and many other students become aware and active citizens in today's world. We (my twin sister and I) also hope to achieve this goal by returning to the village to meet the students and teachers. Through this we hope to be an encouraging face, and to strengthen their faith that there are people out there who want to help them create a stronger future.