Dell Commits $10 Million to Ed Tech Funding in 2011
Personal computer maker Dell said it will donate $10 million to worldwide educational technology initiatives throughout 2011, with more than 70 percent of the money going toward helping students in underserved communities outside the United States.
As part of its commitment to the United Nations Private Sector Forum on Millennium Development Goals, a multifaceted global initiative that includes a plank dedicated to determining how businesses worldwide can respect and promote children's rights, Dell in 2009 launched its own initiative, Dell YouthConnect, which supports the goal of ensuring universal primary education by 2015.
A significant component of this program is the teaching of 21st-century skills, especially critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving, as a way of bringing future generations together to work towards solving a broad range of global crises, from poverty and hunger to economic and social oppression to ecological and environmental issues that affect the long-term survival and prosperity of the human race.
Among YouthConnect's many regional and local overseas partners and their respective goals are:
Asset India Foundation (India)--Create a computer literacy training for girls rescued from sex trafficking and for the children of sex workers, with services including teaching basic computer skills, partnering with businesses for internships, and job placement assistance upon completion.
Center for Digital Inclusion (Mexico, Brazil)--Empower the disadvantaged to learn and use information and communication technology (ICT) tools to address local issues.
Humana South Africa (South Africa)--Add computer rooms and multimedia labs to three youth centers to help students pass grade 10 exams and to provide computer training and other educational activities to at-risk children.
SOS Children's Villages (Morocco)--Provide computers and educator and student training in both IT and overall academics to more than 600 students in seven SOS Youth Village programs.
"Dell continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting educational and digital inclusion initiatives designed for young people," said Caryl Stern, president and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "They are a true community partner in assisting UNICEF in its efforts to ensure that all children receive the education they deserve."
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Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.