PERIODIC REPORT: AUGUST-NOVEMBER, 2013

AFTER-SCHOOL CYBERCAFÉ & CLASSROOM PROJECT OF

HAITIAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATIONAQUIN, HAITI

Aldy Castor, M.D. <aldyc@att.net>954.659.7953 hrdf.org

The Haitian Resource Development Foundation (HRDF), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, with United States Federal Tax I.D. No. 72-1074482, was established in 1987 in the State of Louisiana. This Foundation is also recognized by the government of Haiti as a Non-Governmental Organization (N.G.O.) under the RE: No. MPCEFP/1993/94/17 and registered in the archives of Le Ministère de la Planification et la Coopération Externe under the number B-0167.

HRDF’s mission is to initiate or support projects whose goals are to develop Haiti’s resources and focuses its effort on outcome-based programs in the fields of health care, education, scientific research, arts and culture and economy.

Thanks to a grant from the Kellogg Foundation, HRDF created and began an after-school cybercafé and computer education classroom in its new vocational-technical building on the outskirts of the Caribbean coastal city of Aquin, Haiti.

AQUIN AREA PHOTOGRAPHS FROMVARIOUS SOURCES

Although populous, with approx. a hundred thousand living in the city and the surrounding commune, there are few computers, little to no instruction, no cybercafés, and most of the families are too poor to buy their own computing equipment.

Thus, the Kellogg-HRDF project is the first of its kind in the vicinity and is available for free to children during the afternoon hours between the end of the school day and the beginning of chores and meals at home.

The project began in August with the recruiting of project staff and the purchase and installation of electrical equipment, computers and furniture.

Two adjoining rooms in the vo-tech building, each approximately 20’ x 20’ were prepared, one for the cybercafé and one for the classroom. In addition, there is a large assembly space in a nearby building on the property. The whole facility is of recent construction and meets Haiti’s new standards of design and materials to be resistant to storms and earthquakes.

In September, project staff plus HRDF’s advisors created the curriculum to provide an effective introduction of computer technology, learning and recreation to the largest number of children in the city. The topics include the world of computers, typing skills, the internet, social networking, word processing, graphics, games and audio-visual.

The two rooms are used simultaneously. This permits the staff to teach two groups of approx. fifteen at a time. Each group is a different age, e.g. 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, etc. After the first session of approx. 60-90 minutes, the groups switch sides; the one that began in the classroom moves to the cybercafé, and the other does the opposite.

HRDF ORIGINAL CURRICULUM GUIDE FORCYBERCAFÉ AND

COMPUTER CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

V. INSTRUCTION

Offered as a guide for instructors of HRDF in Aquin, Haiti. As originally envisioned, there are a minimum of ten hours' introductory time offered to each youth, five hours in the cybercafé and five hours in the classroom, as follows. An hour of each would be given during each afternoon’s visit.

A. Cybercafe

Sesion 1. "The World of Computers" - In this session, youths will learn a brief history of computers, learn how computers are used in the modern world, have the chance to look inside a typical computer, and assemble the external parts of a personal computer, then power it up to see it work. Session 2. The Internet and World-Wide Web - In this session, youths will learn how to "go online," use a browser, maneuver the screen and search for the following things: a map of Haiti, a Haitian radio station, a YouTube video about Haiti, and a storybook about Haiti.

Session 3. Introduction to E-mail - In this session, youths will learn about e-mail accounts and learn how to e-mail each other back and forth within the cybercafe. For this, a dedicated account will need to be created for the cybercafe, with sufficient account names to accommodate each of the youths as users.

Session 4. Introduction to Social Media - In this session, youths will be guided through the features of several popular social media. They will learn how to look for and read messages posted by individuals and organizations. (Important: Because creating accounts, sending messages and learning precautions concerning social media requires much more than an hour session, plus close adult supervision, youths will not create accounts or send messages.)

Sesion 5. Games - In this session, youths will explore the internet to discover and learn about the great variety of free computer games available (educational, recreational, competitive, personal games, team games, etc.) They will learn how to play and keep score of selected games, including skills with the mouse.

B. Classroom

Session 1. Typing and Keyboard Skills - Using a basic word processing program such as Notepad, youths will learn their way around the keyboard and how to begin typing with all fingers. This will include practice typing letters, numerals and symbols, and one or more basic documents (a poem, a thank you note, a short story, etc.) from one(s) supplied by the instructor and then from one(s) they make from their own imagination. Then, they will print them to see their work. This requires instructors to pre-load the computers with examples for youths to copy.

Sessino 2, Typing and Keyboard Skills, continued - Continued as above, with emphasis on typing speed and accuracy.

Session 3. Basic Programs - Word Processing - Using the most elementary word processing program such as Notepad, youths will learn the basics and the capabilities of writing and creating poems, stories, diaries and keeping records of their activities. Instructors will be required to pre-load exercises into the computers. For example, they would paste a poem at the upper half of the page so that youths can type and copy the poem on the lower half of the page. The exercises will also help them continue to learn and improve their typing skills.

Session 4. Basic Programs, continued - Images and Slideshows With Photo Editor, Paint or another elementary image editor [not Photoshop], youths will learn to import and manipulate images (brighten or darken them, rotate them, color them, etc.). This will require instructors to pre-load images into each computer. With Powerpoint, they will learn to take a poem or short story and turn it into a brief slide show. They will experiment with different typefaces, line spacing, justification and background colors. Then, they will print them to see their work.

Session 5. Basic Programs, continued - Audio/visual (two one-hour sessions) - Microsoft and other companies offer elementary programs for recording, downloading and editing digital audio and video of various popular formats. Instructors will select one of these programs, demonstrate its basic capabilities, and then guide youths through an exercise that a) edits and audio track, b) edits a video track, and c) combines the two tracks into an audio/video segment. If time permits, youths can select and download audio/video of their choice from the internet and then perform basic editing.

CYBERCAFE SESSION 1

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: "The World of Computers"

GOALS: Introduce youths to computing and the variety of computers andcomputer equipment. Provide a hands-on experience as if this were theirfirst time with computers. Demonstrate the capabilities of HRDF'scybercafe and computing classroom for recreation and education, asindividuals and as groups. Go over the rules for using the facility.

OBJECTIVES: In groups of three, give each youth a chance to handle,operate, disassemble, assemble and become familiar several kinds ofcomputing devices - desktop, laptop, tablet, calculator - and accessories.

TEACHING PLAN: Place a working and internet-connected computersystem on each group table. Have the youths in each group follow yourinstructions precisely. Take them through exercises of turning thecomputer on and bringing up a variety of items in two sets. First arepreloaded items such as a space image of Haiti, a Haitian poem, a briefHaitian slideshow, a Haitian song and brief Haitian video and a simplegame. Second is comparable set of Haiti-related items and a game fromthe internet. Walk around the room while instructing them, ask questionsand let them answer. That should take about a half-hour. Then, give eachgroup a separate desktop computer unit and take them through theprocess of disassembling it, looking inside, counting the parts, guessingwhat they do, and then putting it back together. Walk around the roomwhile guiding them, ask some questions and answer. Then, tell them whatto expect in future sessions.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: One working, internet-connectedcomputer for each group table. One non-working desktop computer foreach table. Tools to disassemble and examine the computer such asscrewdrivers, small flashlights, pencils and paper.

LEARNING PLAN: - By these two exercises, youths will learn what acomputer can do intrinsically and where it can take them in the virtualworld. They will have a chance to look inside a typical computer andimagine how it works.

POST-SESSION PLAN: All youths who complete the course of study willhave free admission to the cybercafe one afternoon a week.

CLASSROOM SESSION 1

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: Typing and Keyboard Skills

GOALS: Introduce the keyboard and explain why typing skills are essential tocomputing. Provide a hands-on experience as if this were their first time withkeyboards and typing. Demonstrate keyboard capabilities, both keystrokesand commands.

OBJECTIVES: Provide experience with keyboards, including their parts,controls and connections. Distinguish between numbers, letters, symbols andcommands. Demonstrate hunt-and-peck and touch-typing.

TEACHING PLAN: 1. Explain the categories of keys on the typical keyboard(letters, numbers, symbols, commands, etc.) and then use the projector,demonstrate proper typing technique. 2. Then, with all computers in a basicword processing mode, such as Notepad, guide the students through severalexercises - typing their names, the names of their schools and teachers, theirfavorite foods, etc. Then have them copy a short poem and a short story.Then have them print their work. 3. Then, using the projector, demonstrate"touch typing" and have them to try it on their computers. Offer themkeyboards so they can can practice the finger movements on their own.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Preload Notepad and sample poems andshort stories on the computers. Prepare the printer to receive typed pagesfrom the students. Have sufficient practice keyboards to distribute toeveryone.

LEARNING PLAN: Using a basic word processing program such as Notepad,youths will learn their way around the keyboard and how to begin typing withall fingers. This will include practice typing letters, numerals and symbols,and one or more basic documents (a poem, a thank you note, a short story,etc.) from one(s) supplied by the instructor and then from one(s) they makefrom their own imagination. Then, they will print them to see their work.

POST-SESSION PLAN: Youths will have keyboards to take home so thatthey can practice typing exercises.

CYBERCAFE SESSION 2

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: The Internet and World-Wide Web

GOALS: Introduce, explain and familiarize youths with the internet throughhands-on experience.

OBJECTIVES: In groups, youths will take turns exploring several differentfeatures of the internet, recording and/or printing them

TEACHING PLAN: Using the projector, conduct an introductory tour of theinternet, using the projector. Concentrate on websites that relate to Haitiand Haitian life. Then, have groups of youths explore the internetthemselves by following the instructor to sites that have been chosen inadvance for their interest, color, information and impact.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Computers at each group table, projector,list of websites to visit, printer for printing selected pages to start aCybercafe Notebook of Haiti-related websites.

LEARNING PLAN: In this session, youths will learn how to "go online,"use a browser, maneuver the screen and search for the following things: amap of Haiti, a Haitian organization, a Haitian radio station, a YouTubevideo about Haiti, and a story about Haiti.

POST-SESSION PLAN: Youths will use future time in the cybercafe toexplore and print additional Haiti-related webpages for a CybercafeNotebook that everyone can use as a reference book.

CLASSROOM SESSION 2

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: Typing and Keyboard Skills, continued

GOALS: As above, continue to introduce the keyboard and explain whytyping skills are essential to computing. Provide a hands-on experience as ifthis were their first time with keyboards and typing. Demonstrate keyboardcapabilities, both keystrokes and commands.

OBJECTIVES: Continue to provide experience with keyboards, including theirparts, controls and connections. Distinguish between numbers, letters,symbols and commands. Demonstrate hunt-and-peck and touch-typing.Demonstrate various typing speeds from twenty to sixty words a minute.

TEACHING PLAN: Continue as in previous session. 1. Explain thecategories of keys on the typical keyboard (letters, numbers, symbols,commands, etc.) and then use the projector, demonstrate proper typingtechnique. 2. Then, with all computers in a basic word processing mode,such as Notepad, guide the students through several exercises - typing theirnames, the names of their schools and teachers, their favorite foods, etc.Then have them copy a short poem and a short story. Then have them printtheir work. 3. Then, using the projector, demonstrate "touch typing" and havethem to try it on their computers. Offer them keyboards so they can canpractice the finger movements on their own.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Preload Notepad and sample poems andshort stories on the computers. Prepare the printer to receive typed pagesfrom the students. Have sufficient practice keyboards to distribute toeveryone.

LEARNING PLAN: As in the previous session, using a basic word processingprogram such as Notepad, youths will learn their way around the keyboardand how to begin typing with all fingers. This will include practice typingletters, numerals and symbols, and one or more basic documents (a poem, athank you note, a short story, etc.) from one(s) supplied by the instructor andthen from one(s) they make from their own imagination. Then, they will printthem to see their work.

POST-SESSION PLAN: Youths will have keyboards to take home so thatthey can practice typing exercises.

CYBERCAFE SESSION 3

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: Introduction to E-mail

GOALS: Demonstrate the fundamentals of e-mail systems - structure,function, etiquette, protection, etc.

OBJECTIVES: Provide each participant with an e-mail account thatconnects to others in the cybercafe project.

TEACHING PLAN: Demonstrate a typical email account, explaining thefeatures and operations available. Introduce an internal Cybercafe emailsystem where every youth will have his or her personal account and beable to send and respond to each other.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Create an internal email account thepermits youths visiting the cybercafe to write and respond to each other.Give everyone their own name and account. An example of a free internalemail system is http://webscripts.softpedia.com/script/Email-Systems/Internal-E-Mail-System--29342.html

LEARNING PLAN: In this session, youths will learn about e-mail accountsand learn how to e-mail each other back and forth within the cybercafecommunity.

POST-SESSION PLAN: Using email, youths will always be able tocorrespond with each other from within the cybercafe.

CLASSROOM SESSION 3

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: Basic Programs - Word Processing

GOALS: Achieve basic know-how of computer-based word processing.

OBJECTIVES: Be able to type and print three different kinds of written files -a poem, a short story and a thank you note.

TEACHING PLAN: Using a simple word processing program such asNotepad, guide youths through the process of copying three differentpreloaded files - a poem, short-story and thank you note. Then print them toshow the results of their work.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Preload the computers with Notepad, and thethree files for youths to copy. Prepare the printer to receive and print thecompleted work.

LEARNING PLAN: With an elementary word processing program such asNotepad, youths will continue to practice their typing skills by copying threebasic documents and then printing them to see the results.

POST-SESSION PLAN: In future visits to the classroom, youths can writeand print additional poems and stories, and learn how to save them in theirown personal folders in the classroom's main computer.

CYBERCAFE SESSION 4

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: Introduction to Social Media

GOALS: Introduce youths to the variety of website services that permitthem to receive and send instantaneous group communication, locally toglobally. Create and offer a simple social media system for cybercafeusers to communicate as a group among themselves.

OBJECTIVES: Make a Facebook and/or Googlegroup account for thecybercafe project that includes the youths attending and using the cafeand classroom, one account for everyone's use, not several individualaccounts. Make an internal social media system that is for the exclusiveinternal use and access of Aquin youths.

TEACHING PLAN: Introduce youths to a variety of Haiti-related Facebookand/or Googlegroup sites - individuals, groups, events, social causes, etc.- and explain how they function in the world of social media. Explain howpeople participate in them and the cautions to use. Show how they canuse the cybercafe's account. Then, introduce the specially-made internalcybercafe social media system and let youths beginto use it.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Computer projector connected to theinternet. Individual computers, one per group table. Pre-establishedFacebook and/or Googlegroup account, and pre-established internalsocial media account using available freeware.

LEARNING PLAN: Youths will become aware of a variety of internet-based social media and have a chance to try them by using an accountthat is pre-established by the cybercafe project. They will learn how tosearch for, understand and navigate social media sites and the reasonsfor using them with caution.

POST-SESSION PLAN: Youths will keep a notebook of websites andsocial media that they visit and use, and have opportunities to presenttheir experiences to others in their groups.

CLASSROOM SESSION 4

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: Basic Programs, continued - Images and Slides

GOALS: Achieve basic know-how to process images and create slideshowson a computer.

OBJECTIVES: Participants will download five images from the internet,adjust them in basic ways and put them into a single slideshow in a sequenceof their choosing.

TEACHING PLAN: Introduce and guide youths through the methods fordownloading and manipulating images, and for putting images into aslideshow. The shows can then be projected on the screen for everyone tosee.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Preload images into each computer. In asimple image editor such as Microsoft Photo Editor, have youths follow alongin downloading and manipulating images, then printing them. Then withPowerPoint, guide them through inserting images into a sequence that theycan play as an automatic slideshow.

LEARNING PLAN: Using basic versions of image and slide making programssuch as Microsoft PhotoEditor and PowerPoint, youths will learn how to workwith images and create slideshows.

POST-SESSION PLAN: In future visits to the classroom, youths can maketheir own and more complicated images and slideshows.

CYBERCAFE SESSION 5

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: Games

GOALS: Introduce participants to the world of computer-based games,including those that can be played in person - alone or in teams - orremotely by individuals or groups that are in different physical locations.

OBJECTIVES: Introduce, instruct and let participants play three selectedbrief computer games that promote and combine educational andrecreational purposes, learning speed, hand-eye coordination and mentalacuity. One of the suggested recreational games is "Jezzball" that can bedownloaded from http://www.theblog.ca/jezzball

TEACHING PLAN: Pre-load selected computer games onto computers atthe group tables. With the help of the computer projector, introduce eachof three games and then allow each group to choose and play the game oftheir choice. Then provide time for them to discuss their experience.Then briefly demonstrate where they can find games on the internet fordownloading or for playing online.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Select and preload games. Find and listinternet game sites.

LEARNING PLAN: In this session, youths will discover and learn aboutthe great variety of free computer games available (educational,recreational, competitive, personal games, team games, etc.) They willlearn how to play and keep score of selected games, including skills withthe mouse. They will learn where additional free games are located on theinternet either for downloading or for playing online.

POST-SESSION PLAN: Youths will keep a notebook of games they play,what they think of them, and the scores they achieve.

CLASSROOM SESSION 5

INSTRUCTOR:

TOPIC: Basic Programs, continued - Audio-Visual

GOALS: Demonstrate and let youths learn and practice how to create briefaudio-visual presentations on the computer.

OBJECTIVES: Youths will make a one-minute audio-visual presentation oftheir own choosing.

TEACHING PLAN: Using the computer projector and sound system,demonstrate the world of brief audio-visual presentations such as available onYouTube.com and other media sites. Using a free audio-visual program fromthe internet, demonstrate how audio and video tracks are combined. Takeparticipants through the process of making a one-minute presentation fromaudio and video that has been pre-loaded into the classroom computers.Each computer will have a different combination of audio and video. Then, letthem play the results for the class.

TEACHING REQUIREMENTS: Free audio-visual software. Preloadedcomputers. Computer projector.

LEARNING PLAN: Youths will learn that audio-visual presentations such asa film or music video are comprised of separate audio and video elementsthat are combined using computer programs. They will learn how to combinethem and present the results to the class.

POST-SESSION PLAN: In future visits, youths will be free to experiment withcreating and combining audio and video elements into brief presentations.

In October, the project was publicized throughout the city and immediately attracted good attention and response. Numerous parents brought their children to HRDF on the day of opening.

To help determine the children’s readiness to learn, the staff prepared and administered a basic exam of reading, writing and arithmetic. The ones who passed were admitted first, and the others were assured they will be able to re-take the exam for admission at a later date.

In November, HRDF’s cybercafé and classroom opened on a regular basis. Sessions are going smoothly, and there is interest from adults who would like to become computer literate.

A solar-electric energy system for the facility, purchased in Florida, arrived in Haiti during the last week of November and is slated for installation in December.

Also in November, the Government of Haiti approved and accredited HRDF’s vocational-technical program to teach in the fields of information technology and mechanical and industrial arts.

In addition, HRDF plans to begin offering sessions in English as a foreign language.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF ENTRANCE EXAMINATION DAY -PARENTS AND CHILDREN ATTENDING

PHOTOGRAPHS OFACTIVITY IN THE CYBERCAFÉ

PHOTOGRAPHS OFINSTRUCTION IN THE COMPUTER CLASSROOM

[Google-English summary from original French]

Activity Report - Cybercafé in Aquin for School Children, Ages 9-14 Somere Claude, Project ManagerWith funds from the Kellogg Foundation (ref no. P3023053)

The following activities were carried out for the preparation of the opening:

- Construction of cybercafé and instructional classroom- Installation of furniture and computing equipment- Acquisition of internet connection- Recruitment of teachers (3 men, 1 woman)- Preparation of teaching schedule- Publicity and registration process (94 registered)- Admission test administered and graded by instructors - Publication of results (45 admitted by exam and 15 chosen by schools)- Sorting of youths into groups- Orientation program

Originally scheduled for October 2013, the opening occurred Nov. 11, 2013 due to logistical problems caused by theft and interrupted electricity. Limited use of onsite diesel generator in lieu of municipal electricity. Equipment for independent photovoltaic system arrived in Aquin from the U.S.A. on Thursday, November 28, 2013. [continued next page]

Will recruit an additional watchman to deter the continuing threat of theft. The problem is considered serious due to the high value of the solar-electric system that will soon be installed. The solar panels and associated equipment are highly sought after.

Scheduled for December-February period:

- Continue instruction of current groups- Install energy equipment (solar panels, inverters, batteries, etc.)- Prepare next round of sixty students for sessions beginning February 2014 - Publicize and open registration for two new groups.- Administer and score admission exams- Publish results; admit 45 by exam, 15 by school recommendation.

SUSTAINABILITY

As shown below, the Government of Haiti recently approved and accredited HRDF’s vocational-technical school for the teaching of information technology and the mechanical and industrial arts. There is also the intention to teach English and other professional courses on a fee basis.

A portion of the fees will be used to subsidize salaries and operational cost of the cybercafe and instructional classroom so that schoolchildren can attend and enjoy them without charge.

HRDF YOUTH CYBERCAFÉ PROJECT, AQUIN, HAITI hrdf.org