Explor

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Explor_at_ Creative and Entrepreneurial Experiences
for Youth Omar Dengo Foundation Costa Rica
Eduardo Monge Eduardo.Monge_at_fod.ac.cr GK3 /
Panel Session EP 16 Bringing a New Generation
on Board Dec. 13th, 2007
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Outline

• About the Omar Dengo Foundation
• Explor_at_s MSP partnership process
• Briefcase of courses and activities
• Current results and outlook

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www.fod.ac.cr
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Explor_at_s program
Training courses
Multi-Stakeholder Partners
Digital Fluency
Creativity
Entrepreneurship
Healthy recreation
Specific skills
Appropriate Teaching System
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What is Explor_at_?

• An innovative training proposal composed of set
  of courses that uses digital technologies to
  foster children and youth talents, their self and
  collective efficacy, and to promote their return
  to the educational system.
• A way for underprivileged and at risk children
  and youth to take advantage of a set of
  non-formal learning experiences aimed at
  developing their creativity, productivity and
  healthy recreation.
• Spanning a four-year period (2006-2010), the
  project is intended to benefit approximately
  20,000 children and youth in Costa Rica.

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Explor_at_s Public, Private and CSO partners

• Ministry of Public Education
• Ministry of Justice
• Wal-Mart Costa Rica (CSR main partner)
• Microsoft
• Omar Dengo Foundation
• Local governments, NGOs, schools, youth and
  community development organizations

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Explor_at_s six courses
Design of games and animations
Web-page design
Digital journalists
Technical leaders
Digital Productivity
Disaster prevention
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Design of games and animations

• The goal of the course is that participants
  discover their creative potential and develop
  technological fluency by designing and developing
  their own animations and games using Scratch.
• Scratch uses a simple graphical interface that
  allows programs to be assembled like building
  blocks (scratch.mit.edu)

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Web-page design

• Participants explore concepts and practices that
  are frequently used in the design and production
  of a personal web-site.
• http//kokem1421.blogspot.com/
• http//july92.blogspot.com/
• http//joseiory.blogspot.com/

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Digital journalists

• Participants explore and learn about the main
  skills that journalists use and then produce a
  digital publication similar to a magazine or a
  journal.
• http//ninoshkana.googlepages.com/portadaperiodico
  25dejulio

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Digital Productivity

• Data processing packages, e-mail and other
  resources
• Participants explore the use of digital equipment
  and network technologies, and basic elements of
  digital MS Office tools.(Word, power point) and
  the Internet.

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Disasters Prevention

• Children and youth experience perform
  observations and research of atmospheric changes
  by following tasks and using instruments that a
  meteorologist uses. They create a emergency plan
  and create a shared web site.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vutCzNaG2odE
• Video of experiences on National TV

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Technical leaders

• Participants learn how to explore and manage
  computer hardware and software, and how to
  provide technical support to equipment and
  applications under the MS Office 2003 platform.

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Results

• 5,000 children and youths benefited in year one.
• 265 organizations affiliated (NGO, local
  governments, ministries, public schools).
• 46 teacher training courses given in year one.
• More than 800 local facilitators trained
  throughout the country.
• Support from thousands of Wal-Mart customers
  secured for 4 years

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