14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft and the British Council have inked a five-year partnership designed to bring new opportunities to students in schools across six countries in Africa, as a part of the duo’s first project, announced today during the Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum.
The two plan to build no less than 80 digital hubs for students in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.
The Redmond company revealed that Windows MultiPoint Server will play a key role, being at the heart of the new digital hubs.
Windows MultiPoint Server, a shared resource computing solution, is also the operating system that Microsoft used to bring technology to 40 “lighthouse” schools in Haiti, attended by over 24,000 students.
Across the six African nations, Microsoft Partners in Learning and the British Council expect to reach over 20,000 school leaders and teachers, and make sure that in excess of 100,000 people and communities will have digital access.
The duo plans to invest more than $2 million, and will use solar power to provide the digital hubs with electricity, in some cases considering offering long-range Wi-Fi.
“I welcome our new partnership with Microsoft, which will enable us to create opportunities for millions of educators and students around the world,” revealed Martin Davidson, chief executive, British Council. “By working together to harness technology for education and training, we can make a powerful contribution to preparing young people throughout the world for life and work in the 21st century.”
In addition to the deal with the British Council, the software giant will also continue to work with the Smithsonian Institution in order to expand the Shout program.
According to data from Microsoft, over 11,000 people from 94 countries have already participated in conferences since Shout was announced in 2010, and moving forward, the program will focus on water quality and quantity.
Also at the Microsoft 2011 Partners in Learning Global Forum, the Redmond company revealed that it’s taking over the TEACH website, after a collaboration agreement with U.S. Department of Education.
Using the site, Microsoft plans to promote teaching, and to recruit new teachers, and revealed that after teach.gov will become teach.org, additional plans will be set in motion, offering companies a chance to discuss education reform in the US.
“The Partners in Learning program is one of the many investments Microsoft is making to help educators more effectively prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow,” stressed Anthony Salcito, vice president of education at Microsoft.
“At Microsoft, we believe that magic happens when business needs merge with social responsibility, and in an increasingly competitive global economy, bringing together organizations that are equally passionate about education can be a successful formula for preparing the next generation of leaders.”