Kolibri Hardware Grants Program Round 3 takes flight!

Lessons learned from managing our first grant program, and the arrival of the new cohort of grantees.

We’re thrilled to announce that 28 new organizations will receive a Kolibri Hardware Grant, bringing the total number of organizations supported through funding from Google.org to 51. These organizations represent a variety of formal and non-formal learning contexts across 22 countries, and will be testing Kolibri on different device types and set-ups, sharing back their experiences over the next two years!

For some of these organizations, implementing a technology intervention is an entirely new aspect to their programming and pedagogical model. For others, education technology is an already integrated piece of the curriculum in existing schools, and this grant will expand it to new sites or upgrade current models along with the introduction of Kolibri.

Our goal at Learning Equality through this grants program is to learn not only how Kolibri runs on certain types of hardware, but also to learn from the variety of contexts where Kolibri is being introduced: what are some of the key challenges in introducing a new software platform to an existing blended learning program? Or to a program where no such technology intervention has previously existed? How can our team shape and continue to refine the resources we provide to grassroots users such that anyone can feel equipped with the confidence to start their own Kolibri program?

Lessons learned from managing our first grant program

When we first started planning what this grant program might look like in early 2017, we weren’t even yet thinking how to best support 51 organizations across 28 countries through three cohorts. We decided to start small in our first round in 2017 by inviting organizations that we knew had previously used KA Lite in their learning settings to apply, allowing us to build out our processes for vetting, training, data collection and providing ongoing support. We opened up our second application round with a public call for proposals, vetting over 100 applications and welcoming many organizations that were new to our work and new to blending technology in their programs.

We built upon what we learned from our first two cohorts to inform how we prepared for success of selecting our third cohort. As a small non-profit managing a grant program, we have shaped consistent processes to stay on track and set the foundation for our grantees to independently drive their grassroots programs.

These are a few of the lessons we’ve learned from working with our first two cohorts:

1.Build a community — We’ve strived to create a community within each of our cohorts by hosting group calls for introductions and our virtual training sessions (with a resounding concluding cheer to make “Kolibri Fly!”), and creating opportunities for small group introductions. We encourage ongoing collaboration and sharing through e-mail groups and our Community Forum. Our hope is that by providing opportunities for organizations to connect and learn from shared experiences, we’re supporting continued motivation throughout the two year program.

2. Provide a foundation — While we consider this grant program to be one where our grantee organizations are tasked with independently planning and implementing their own Kolibri programs, we recognize the importance of providing the necessary tools to lay the foundations of a successful intervention:

• Based on feedback around areas of greatest need for getting started with Kolibri, we developed virtual “Training of Trainers” (ToT) sessions for grantees that are hands-on and allow for opportunities to discuss and connect with fellow members from the cohort. Individuals from each organization attend the session and then deliver the training to other relevant stakeholders in their program.
• We provide links to our training materials, including our “do it yourself” Toolkit with handouts and resources covering topics such as technology, blended learning and mentoring, and presentations that can be adapted based on context and used for group trainings.
• Each grantee has a designated point of contact on the Learning Equality team who they maintain regular communication with throughout the program and may reach out to as needed for additional support.

3. Set realistic expectations — We emphasize to both grantee organizations and all organizations who are looking to implement Kolibri that introducing a new intervention takes time. For some organizations this may mean starting with a smaller pilot or gradually introducing different features into daily teaching practices. Every Kolibri program will look a little different and our hope is to help each organization determine what success looks like in their particular setting. Along with this, we also evaluated our own program and what we were asking of grantees. We made some changes accordingly to our reporting requirements based on what we felt was realistic and attainable, ultimately deciding to scale back on check-ins after the second round after recognizing that factors like connectivity, time in the field and progression of progress didn’t warrant as frequent contact.

4. Develop internal processes and designated areas of ownership — It takes a team! We have a small core team that meets weekly to share updates on the grantees and plan out next steps internally for our program. In addition to managing a set of organizations, each member contributes expertise in a different area, including training, finance, public relations, reporting and project management.

5. Be organized — We use a helpful collection of project management tools to stay on track and organized, which is especially critical given that each of the 51 grantees is on a slightly different timeline with their program! After initially collecting and vetting applications using the hiring platform Greenhouse, we’ve used Google Suite applications for tracking data and keeping notes, Trello for assigning tasks and managing deadlines, and are in the process of transitioning to Notion to integrate with other internal organizational processes.

What’s next?

We’ve completed the selection process, but in many ways we’re now beginning the real work to learn from these organizations using Kolibri. Looking ahead, here’s what’s next for our program:

Collecting ongoing feedback for current feature development and for our Toolkit: Over the next two years, we’ll continue aggregating data on how Kolibri is being used and collect feedback on the platform and hardware. This information will impact future changes to Kolibri and resources in our Toolkit that the broader grassroots community can benefit from in developing and refining their own programs. We plan to share back information on best practices for hardware set-ups, implementation models, and more.

Highlighting the work of grantee organizations: As the organizations continue developing their programs and showcasing different models of Kolibri, we’ll be highlighting their work on our various communication channels. Our goal is to provide ideas and inspiration to the larger community, as well as connect like-minded organizations who may be doing work in similar regions or contexts.

Read on to learn more about some of the 28 organizations who are joining the Kolibri Hardware Grants Program! Questions? Reach out to grants@learningequality.org.

Latin America

Fundación Paraguaya

Fundación Paraguaya is a leading edge self-sufficient social enterprise founded in Paraguay in 1985 that seeks to develop innovative solutions to poverty and unemployment, and proactively disseminate them throughout the world.

Fundación Paraguaya will implement Kolibri in Spanish in a computer lab at the San Francisco Agriculture School in Paraguay equipped with laptops and an existing local area network connection.

Haiti Partners

Haiti Partners’ mission is to help Haitians change Haiti through education. In an increasingly interconnected world, a loss of human potential becomes a loss for everyone. Over 25 years of in-country experience has shaped the understanding that the most fertile terrain for sustainable change in Haiti is through a quality, community-based education that prepares changemakers.

Haiti Partners will provide teachers with laptops containing Kolibri for use in either the computer lab, which will be equipped with tablets for small group learning, or in their personal classrooms with a projector for full class lessons.

Instituto Paramitas

Instituto Paramitas creates innovative, educational programs aimed at improving learning, developing teacher skills and autonomy, and promoting a ripple effect of social and cultural transformation through the use of technology.

Instituto Paramitas will be installing Kolibri on laptops and connecting them to Android tablets using a router. They will transport the devices as a mobile lab between classrooms at a school in Antonio Cardoso, Antônio Cardoso a municipality in the state of Bahia in the Northeast region of Brazil.

Powering Potential

Powering Potential uses technology to enhance education and stimulate the imagination of students in underdeveloped countries while respecting and incorporating values of the local culture — especially cooperation over competition, community over the individual, modesty over pride, and spirituality over materiality.

Powering Potential will equip a computer lab in a school in Peru, using Raspberry Pi-oneer kits, a portable unit which includes the Raspberry Pi computer, a mobile projector, screen, and solar recharging unit that supports the entire package.

Middle East

Civic

Civic’s core mission is to support a major step-change in the approach of communities and organizations to help accelerate impact and the development of the following skills: early childhood development — literacy and numeracy, life skills, entrepreneurial training curriculum, English language tuition, financial literacy, health and nutrition, parenting, coding, job-readiness training, and community-based urban planning.

CIVIC will use a combination of Kano Kits, Raspberry Pi CanaKits, Intel CAPs and tablets to implement Kolibri in ‘civic spaces’ around Azraq refugee camp and town in Jordan.

North America

Aliim

Aliim is a non-profit organization whose mission is to leverage technology and mentors to provide refugees and marginalized youth access to safe, quality, and relevant education.

Aliim will support educational programs for refugees administered by implementing partners in Utah, beginning with Umoja Generation (a Congolese Youth Education Outreach Program) and Refugee Services Office of Utah in the United States. Kolibri will be implemented on laptops during Saturday education programming and learners in the Refugee Services Office program will test a standalone self-paced model of Kolibri at home during the week.

Idaho Department of Correction

The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) is responsible for managing felony offenders housed in prisons and supervised on probation and parole, across ten prisons and four community reentry centers. Their mission includes providing opportunities for offender change, recognizing that education is critical for a reentry system that enhances public safety and reduces recidivism.

The Idaho Department of Correction will install Kolibri on an HPE ProLiant Microserver that connect to Chromebooks for use in the computer labs as part of the inmate education program in Idaho, United States.

Rotary Club of Daytona Beach West

The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Rotary Club of Daytona Beach West works with the Diocese of Orlando to focus on education and literacy as part of humanitarian service.

The Rotary Club of Daytona Beach West will be partnering with the Diocese of Orlando to implement Kolibri in the Dominican Republic, using RACHEL-Plus devices as their server.

South/Southeast Asia

Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI-Tata Trusts)

Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI), established in 2007, is an associate organization of Tata Trusts. CInI-Tata Trust’s focused education program under the Mission 2020 aims at enhancing the learning-levels of students in India along with overall development, as a critical aspect towards enhancing the overall quality of life of tribal communities.

CInI-Tata Trusts will use Kolibri as a supplementary model using a laptop server and tablet client model to enhance learning for students and teachers in classrooms, resource centers, and libraries.

DTLJ Education Trust

DTLJ Education Trust aims to provide access for the Orang Ulu children and youth in Ulu Baram through education support systems, technology, training, financial assistance and more by focusing on opportunities for education and special needs education, preservation and promotion of culture, and youth development.

DTLJ Education trust will use a Raspberry Pi server model with Android tablets as the client devices to support the expansion of an existing after school program at a school in Malaysia. The hardware provided by the grant will be used to expand the support for the program and transition usage from KA Lite to Kolibri.

Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation

Through libraries, Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation (MBAPF) aims to build a strong knowledge based society in Myanmar by transforming community libraries into community centers and to provide resources and capacity building of librarians by bringing global library and information trends such as media literacy to Myanmar.

MBAPF will support use a laptop server and tablet client model to implement Kolibri in libraries in Myanmar. MBAPF will work closely with the local schools to facilitate the use of Kolibri in formal education programming and will also be used non-formally by students and the community when schools are not using the libraries for classes.

Project Stand Up

Project Stand Up is a youth-driven platform for improving access to and participation in learning for refugees, particularly girls. Project Stand Up is supported by Payong, which has been in operation since 2009, and has worked continuously to address the many barriers for refugees to access education.

Project Stand Up will implement Kolibri as a component of the education and training programs on offer at their PSU Youth Hub, using laptops as a server along with client devices. “Champions” will engage with an education facilitator to assist them in identifying achievable study and training goals and selecting suitable educational content based on their current level.

TAKMIL
Teach a Kid Make Individual Life (TAKMIL)’s mission is to provide basic literacy and numeracy to the millions of out of school children living in slums, remote, and war areas of Pakistan using the latest technology and solar energy.

TAKMIL will use Kolibri on laptops and a projector to support out of school children living in slums and remote areas of Pakistan. TAKMIL will also test the use of solar panels and batteries to support the powering of the devices.

Tekkatho Foundation

The Tekkatho Foundation aims to transform education in Myanmar, right now, by providing digital libraries and other education infrastructure in areas of poor Internet connectivity, and promoting exchanges, teaching placements and research partnerships between educational institutions and international partners.

Tekkatho Foundation will use Kolibri to turn static libraries into interactive, dynamic virtual classrooms that can be replicated and shared. They will build virtual classrooms based on their MyLibrary program in schools, libraries, colleges and temporary learning spaces in hard-to-reach places in Myanmar. Each virtual classroom will have a RACHEL-Plus as the client device running Kolibri, tablets, a solar charger where appropriate and a projector or screen.

ThinkZone

ThinkZone implements an affordable technology-enabled ‘school-in-a-box’ education solution, aimed at bridging the learning gap amongst children at the bottom of the pyramid in India. By training and empowering local women as educators in their communities, ThinkZone also creates dignified livelihood opportunities and greater gender equality. Using offline technology, ThinkZone is providing ‘level-based’ quality early childhood and primary level education for children across remote villages of India and simultaneously creating jobs for women.

ThinkZone will use Raspberry Pi servers and Android tablet clients to upskill teachers in building facilitation skills and and also as a means to assess and help students learn at their own pace.

Tuk Tuk for Children

Tuk Tuk for Children aims to deliver the children of rural Cambodia quality education, sanitation, nutrition, and entertainment. Through their Kolibri implementation they aim to empower teachers and increase educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities in early childhood education. Tuk Tuk operates a mobile book and toy library in the state school system focusing on early primary levels and plans to include Kolibri as a part of the mobile unit to reach rural Cambodian villages.

Tuk Tuk for Children will install Kolibri on a Raspberry Pi device that connects via a router to tablets and is powered by solar panel. The devices will be transported via tuk tuk between villages in Cambodia for non-formal educational programming.

Sub-Saharan Africa

CAUSE Canada

CAUSE Canada strives to be a catalyst for global justice by providing sustainable integrated community development in rural West Africa and Central America through authentic collaborative long-term relationships. CAUSE Canada focuses on supporting beneficiaries in their struggle for more accessible and high-quality healthcare and education services by providing them with training in basic literacy, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and personal and social empowerment. It works with the most marginalized populations, including Indigenous people, women and people with disabilities.

CAUSE Canada will connect tablets to a RACHEL-Plus device powered by a BBOXX to implement Kolibri into their Mobile Learning Labs program, starting in Sierra Leone and then expanding to Honduras and Guatemala. The self-directed learning program will focus on out-of-school girls’ and women’s literacy and numeracy schools.

Common Ground for Africa

Common Ground for Africa’s mission is to help mitigate poverty, the single largest threat to human well-being and social stability in Kenya. Poverty breeds hunger, disease, illiteracy and environmental degradation. It also sharpens civil conflicts.

Common Ground for Africa will implement Kolibri in their computer lab with networked desktop computers in Kitale, Kenya, where they support a K-8 mixed gender school and Grades 9–12 secondary school for girls, focusing primarily on orphaned and low-income students. Kolibri will be integrated across a variety of subjects and will additionally be used to help students prepare for the national exams.

EDUCOA

EDUCOA aims to deliver ICT-based education programs to cultivate lifelong learning skills in sub-Saharan African youth so that they succeed in the global market. EDUCOA has piloted a low-cost student centric model into Ghanaian primary schools called the “Innovation for Life Skills Framework,” which inculcates 4 lifelong learning competencies, and uses digital portfolios (DPs) as the medium for students to leverage learning and attainment of those skills. Their comprehensive approach tackles three critical school-based barriers to quality education in Africa: (1) inadequate curriculum, (2) inadequate teacher training, and (3) poor infrastructure.

EDUCOA will use a laptop server and Chromebook client device model at Amankwatia M/A Primary B school in Ghana. The use of Kolibri will allow EDUCOA to address two of its biggest challenges, which are to (i) enable teachers to access content and new materials to inform their teaching and, (ii) enable teachers to access a variety of materials offline.

Ghana Make a Difference

Ghana Make a Difference shelters children who have been abandoned and who have been rescued from forced child labor. They provide these vulnerable children with a place they can call home as they work to reintegrate them with their biological family or to place them in a new family. They preserve families by providing a path to self reliance through education, adult literacy, vocational training, social assistance, healthy living, and access to medical care.

Ghana Make a Difference runs a school as part of their programming, which serves children who have been rescued from human trafficking, abuse, and neglect. Most of them spend a year with the program as the Ghana Make a Difference social worker seeks to find better long-term placement options. Kolibri will be integrated into the school using tablets and Chromebooks connected to a Fitlet server.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy works as a model and catalyst for the conservation of wildlife and its habitat. It does this through the protection and management of species, the initiation and support of community conservation and development programs, and the education of neighboring areas in the value of wildlife.

Using existing RACHEL-Plus devices as a server that have already been serving learners across Kenya with KA Lite, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy as part of the Lewa Digital Literacy Initiative will use new Windows tablets as the clients in 21 local schools.

One African Child Foundation for Creative Learning

One African Child’s mission is to create a society that fosters creativity, education and innovation among young Africans. It is a youth-led organization committed to redefining access to quality education for disadvantaged children in Nigeria through activity-based workshops, advocacy and empowerment programs centered on education for sustainable development and global citizenship.

One African Child will use Kolibri with a laptop server and tablet client device model to empower children in underserved communities in Nigeria, where it currently runs an ongoing project on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). As part of their project, they intent to reach 500 community teachers and 5,000 in and out-of-school children over the span of two years through the existing ESD program.

Shift IT

Shift IT is a not-for-profit ICT education provider that is growing ICT access in Malawi. By offering rural and low-income communities sustainable, affordable data solutions and tech education, they are able to be included in the digital landscape. Offline and open source learning resources and support is at the core of resource delivery for the organizations they work with.

Shift IT will implement Kolibri using a combination of RACHEL-Plus servers with Keepod devices, and laptops sourced locally from Computers for Malawian Schools. It will implement with the Jacaranda Foundation in its primary school, secondary school, and vocational community learning centre environments.

The Social Project

The Social Project develops and provides collaborative, scalable educational platforms to connect, equip and empower Southern Africans, with the aim of eradicating the extreme income inequality, so they can become employable, contributing citizens.

The Social Project will implement Kolibri as part of their School in a Box solution, which contains everything learners will need to progress through a computational thinking and physical computing curriculum. This project in South Africa will focus on using Raspberry Pi as the main server running Kolibri alongside tablets with keyboards as the primary learning devices, along with Micro:bit essential kit and Raspberry Pi Zero W Essentials Kit — all transported in a charger trunk.

Techno-Science

Techno-Science is a technology-for-development program partner in Nigeria and other countries in West Africa. They provide program support to international development partners, providing technology program design, development, field deployment and adoptions in education, health and other critical public sectors. They have branches in other parts of the world that help in direct sourcing from manufacturers of technological tools used in field deployment of technological programs.

Techno-Science’s use of Kolibri will provide additional opportunities for use of existing mobile devices to benefit more learners and coaches. The deployment model is to host content on a local server in a school or community center where electricity, wireless access network, shelter for equipment, security and ease of administration are provided. The wireless access will use none-line of sight (NLOS) TV white space (TVWS) technology combined with 802.11x access for last mile client access in Nigeria.

Zurielles Academy

Zurielles Academy is the first female-focused, 16-week coding school boot camp for underprivileged young women in Cote d’Ivoire, a low-income country in West Africa. They are trained as junior developers and connected with local employers through paid internships with possibilities of gaining full-time employment, therefore breaking the cycle of poverty.

Zurielles Academy will integrate Kolibri in their coding school boot camp, in order to allow students to learn at their own pace using a RACHEL-Plus server and laptop client model.