16.12.10
WSIS FORUM 2010
10-14 May, Geneva
Action Line IFM
C2: Infrastructure
Enhancing ICT
Tuesday 11 May 2010
11:15-13:00
Room H
ITU BDT Flagship Initiative
Connect a School,
Connect a Community
Susan Schorr,
Head a.i., Special Initiatives Division
ITU-D
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WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
Connect a School, Connect a
Community
Endorsed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
at ITU World TELECOM 2009 Youth Forum
www.connectaschool.org
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WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
Connect a School, Connect a
Community: ICT for All
•
To promote access to and use of ICTs by all
people, including marginalized and
vulnerable groups:
–
–
–
–
–
Hosted by:
women and girls
indigenous people
persons with disabilities
youth and children and
people living in underserved communities
WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
What are the ICT Needs of
Special Initiatives Populations?
• Extension of broadband networks to their
schools, homes, communities and public
offices
• Need for accessible ICTS
– Assistive technologies for persons with
disabilities
– ICT and language literacy training
• Harnessing ICTs for poverty reduction and
wealth creation
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WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
Why Connect Schools?
• Connecting schools serves the children
and youth who attend schools whether in
urban or rural areas
– Teach ICT literacy
– Incorporate ICTs into curriculum
– Expand educational possibilities
– Teach responsible online behavior
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WSIS Process
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UNCTAD
Why Connect Communities?
• Connected schools can be used as community ICT
centres to meet the ICT needs of the local
community, especially in rural and remote areas
– Meet their accessibility needs, including for persons with
disabilities
– Provide basic ICT and language literacy training
– Provide life skills and vocational and educational training
• Once schools in remote areas are connected to
broadband, the network can be extended throughout
the community for public and private use
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WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
How to connect schools?
• Encourage ITU Members – ICT regulators
and policy makers – to take the necessary
steps to connect schools
• Collect and identify best practices
• Build political support for the WSIS targets
of connecting all schools by 2015
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WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
www.connectaschool.org
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WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
Raise Awareness
• Organize events with decision makers
• Reinforce the WSIS targets for connecting
all schools by 2015
• Share best practices
• Encourage adoption of national school
connectivity plans to trigger public and
private investment in school connectivity
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WSIS Process
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UNCTAD
National School Connectivity
Plans
• Set targets and timetables for connecting
schools
• Identify technological solutions
• Address legal, policy and regulatory
measures to connect schools
• Incorporate digital inclusion policies and
practices for marginalized groups
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WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
Supply and Demand Side
Measures
• Goal of creating an enabling environment is to
encourage private sector supply of broadband
services
• Promoting school connectivity can encourage
greater demand for broadband connectivity
• Schools can serve as anchor points to extend
networks in rural and remote areas for public
and private use
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WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD
Conclusion
Connecting schools plays a vital role in
countries’ broadband development plans and can
lead to significant investment in infrastucture
Thank you for your attention
Susan Schorr
Head, a.i. Special Initiatives Division
ITU BDT
susan.schorr@itu.int
Hosted by:
WSIS Process
Organised by:
UNCTAD