Overview

The purpose of this project is to increase access and skills in Information Technology (IT) for women, teachers, and children in Jamaica by giving Tyee Middle School students in the Advanced Computer Skills class the knowledge to assemble a computer lab and give instruction on its use to the Sheffield All Ages School in Negril, Jamaica during the summers of 2007-2011. We hope to forge a positive cross-cultural bridge between the Jamaican and American participants in an effort to promote world peace.

Tyee students will acquire basic skills in an IT curriculum, knowledge of computer hardware assembly, basic MS Office applications, and internet usage. Students and teachers involved will establish a “pen-pal” type of communication with their counterparts p rior to the program. American students will prepare for the experience by assembling computers and researching Jamaica. In the process, classroom presentations, home-stays, and community outreach will help develop the relationships for the participants. Students will have the opportunity to train Jamaican teachers how to use the equipment. Contributions of hardware and software technology along with donations from groups like the Bellevue Sunrise Rotary, Lisle International and Microsoft Foundation along with students’ families will comprise the bulk of the projects expenses.