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Books, computers, and internet connectivity are something we might take for granted in our schools. But for large sections of the developing world, classrooms might be devoid of desks, libraries might be empty of books, and teachers don’t keep lesson plans from year to year because they would deteriorate in the high humidity. There are entire islands in the South Pacific without wi-fi. So how can children in these areas be given access to educational materials that are both significant and geared for their culture?

Today, we are joined by Dr. Laura Hosman from Arizona State University. Laura has traveled around the world, from Senegal to Tonga, bringing children in developing countries educational materials. Her latest project is a small computer called SolarSPELL. SolarSPELLs are rugged computers, impervious to wind and rain, that run off a solar charge. Loaded with educational material, they serve as an educational hotspot, so that children can use their own tablets or smartphones to connect to them.

Laura’s stories paint a picture of what life is like for children on these islands. And with these new computers, the schoolchildren are able to learn about their own culture, neighboring islands, along with math, science, and history, in ways they never have before.
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Image credit Laura Hosman. Used with permission.