OLPC PNGSDP

OLPC PNGSDP Home Page

Rumginae Primary School - Jim Taylor Memorial Primary School, Kisap - Matkomai Primary School - Finalbin Primary School - The 3 Telefomin Primary Schools
Related Links: OLPC PNG Blog Site (DWU) - OLPC wiki pages for PNG (2008)
Tools: Lesson Plan Template - Draft lesson plans - Webquest template - Draft webquests

PNG Sustainable Development Programme's One Laptop Per Child Programme

PNG SDP are a private company whose mission is to reinvest profits from the Ok Tedi mine in western Papua New Guinea into sustainable community development, including education.

PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd (PNGSDP) promotes diversified and balanced economic development of PNG, especially Western Province, providing for improved well being and self determination of local communities, beyond the life of the Ok Tedi mine.

PNGSDP have started a One Laptop Per Child programme in 11 schools (see map below), mostly in mine affected areas, with implementing partner Divine Word University, one of PNG's most prestigious educational institutions and local partners in the three areas of North Fly, Western Highlands and Telefomin District. These are primarily the Catholic and Baptist Education authorities.

The programme consists of 1000 laptops and 11 schools, with full server/wireless and solar power infrastructure. Schools with no power sources are able to participate because all laptops are issued with the innovative "DC Share" solution, consisting of 15W thin film solar panels and cables allowing the laptops to be charged whilst in use in the classrooms, with no need for expensive fixed solar power infrastructure. None of the schools are "saturated"; however the programme focuses on building local and national support to sustain the pilots, especially through local sources related to the mine.

Latest news on deployments

This section will be updated after activities planned for January 2012 are completed.

• The deployment at Rumginae Primary School, North Fly, was completed with a launching on 7th May 2010. 70 laptops were deployed in three classes (G3, G4A and 4B) and all teachers. The deployment included teacher training and installation of the school server and campus-wide wireless network.
• Jim Taylor Memorial School, Kisap, near Mt Hagen, was completed in July 2010, and an official launch took place in October 2010. The deployment consisted of teacher training, 219 laptops issued to six classes (G3-G5, two streams) and teachers. A server and wireless network was installed, along with fixed solar power for the infrastructure, and the DC Share solution for laptops (the school has no grid power or daily-use generator).
• The important basic teacher training for most of the teachers in the remaining six schools in North Fly was completed in the first two weeks of August 2010 at Matkomnae Primary School, along with the installation of school server and wireless network, with solar power. An action plan was drawn up to complete the school deployments and launch their OLPC projects. A further mission in June 2011 completed the infrastructure and an official launch. This involved two classes, Grade 3 and 4.
• During the training at Kisap, a team from the 3 Telefomin district schools were trained as trainers. All equipment has been shipped to site apart from the flexible solar panels. These schools are now self-sufficient and ready to launch their OLPC projects.
• DWU deployed 25 laptops with a school server at Callan Services special needs school, Kiunga, in late 2009. The laptops are used to teach children with special needs, including hearing impairment. Additional training and server upgrade was implemented in April 2010 and again in 2011.
• Kompiam International School received 10 laptops in 2009

Schools included in the programme

Contacts

• Lawrence Stephens, PNGSDP, lstephens AT pngsdp.com
• David Mul, DWU OLPC Team, dmul AT dwu.ac.pg
• David Leeming, Advisor to SDP on their OLPC programme, david AT leeming-consulting.com