Illinois Tech Team Visits Haiti to Re-Energize Schools Following Earthquake

Chicago, IL – February 17, 2011 On January 3rd, 2011 four students and one professor from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago traveled to the earthquake devastated-nation of Haiti in order to assess several schools for the potential installation of a solar PV solution. The village of Lascahobas had lost grid-provided electricity following the earthquake a year ago, and there is as-yet no prospect for the grid power to be restored. This is regrettable given that the local schools had recently received OLPC XOs with the aim of improving the quality of education. The schools no longer have a way to charge the XO laptops. The IIT team’s goal is to design an affordable, sustainable, and replicable solar charging system for the schools’ laptops. The first deployment will enable 1,000 students to use their XO laptops once again.

The IIT project: Developing Technology to Transform Education in Haiti, is being led by Dr. Laura Hosman and consists of an inter-disciplinary team of ten students who are all interested in advancing the educational opportunities of Haitian students. Bruce Baikie, ICT4D solar expert, accompanied the group and is serving as the team’s solar powering mentor.

Ultimately, over 11,000 XO laptops are slated to be distributed to Haitian primary-level students across the country, but the vast majority of schools and homes have no access to reliable power through which to charge them. The short-term goal of the IIT project is to (re-)enable charging of the laptops in the Lascahobas schools, while the longer-term objective is to design a cost-effective replicable solar solution that can be used at schools across Haiti.

The project-based class at IIT began in the fall of 2010 with the goal of designing an economical solar PV laptop-charging design in conjunction with the Haitian Ministry of Education. At the end of the semester, in January, the team carried out a site survey visit to potential schools in Lascahobas, in order to understand structural, physical, and social constraints for its implementation. During their visit, the group collected technical data needed to design the system for the schools, and conversed with school officials about the project in order to gauge the level of interest and commitment. Local school administrators expressed their enthusiasm at the prospect of gaining solar power for their schools and the students’ laptops, and promised active participation in the project.

The IIT students also are partnering with engineering students from the State University in Haiti (whose own school was partially destroyed in the earthquake), to develop content in French and Creole for the primary-level students to use on their laptops. The team was also able to meet with the Haitian Ministry of Education’s Director of Primary Education in Port-au-Prince, who was very positive about the team’s plans, and acknowledged the great need for this type of partnering and capacity-building education project in Haiti.

With the data gathered on the trip, the IIT team is refining their design, which is to be implemented at two primary schools in Lascahobas in May, 2011. The group is raising money to fund the project—the implementation at each school is estimated to cost approximately ten-thousand US dollars and will directly support 1,000 Haitian students. For more information on this project and to donate please visit: http://iitempoweringhaiti.org/

Contact:
Dr. Laura Hosman
lhosman1@iit.edu
Illinois Institute of Technology
3301 Dearborn St
Chicago IL 60616
312-670-4080

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Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)- Founded in 1890, IIT is a private, Ph.D.-granting research university with programs in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business, and law.

Green WiFi - Green WiFi is committed to providing solar powered access to global information and educational resources for developing regions and K-12 school children striving for knowledge in a digitally divided world.

Dr. Laura Hosman
lhosman1@iit.edu
Illinois Institute of Technology
3301 Dearborn St
Chicago IL 60616
312-670-4080

This release was published on openPR.