Ardmore, PA (US), May 2007 - ELearning for Kids (EFK), a global nonprofit foundation that provides free online learning for children 5-12, has entered into an exciting partnership with Close the Gap (CTG). CTG is an international non-profit organization that actively helps to bridge the digital divide by lengthening the lifespan of Western IT equipment through its various projects around the world.
Since Close the Gap was founded in 2003, thousands of CTG computers have been donated by Western companies. They have been put to work once more in developing countries, where they offer a springboard for both individuals and communities to make steady progress in bridging the digital and economical divide. As an example of such a project, last November, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the 30,000th computer from Close the Gap.
With the availability of the hardware and its distribution channels, this collaboration was a natural fit with EFK's mission to offer free, best-in-class software (both online and via CD-ROM) for their community of children, parents, and educators around the world.
Speaking on the occasion, Nick van Dam, Ph.D., founder and chairman of eLearning for Kids and Chief Learning Officer for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, said, "Access to the Internet is still very limited or too expansive for schools in the developing world. Through our partnership with Close the Gap, we'll install the eLearning For Kids curricula and courseware directly on approximately 10,000 computers annually before they get shipped to schools in the developing world, thus allowing us to make the courseware available to children in countries who need this the most".
Olivier Vanden Eynde, founder and General Manager of Close the Gap, is also excited about the partnership with eLearning for Kids. "A lot of Close the Gap's educational partners are very committed to introducing Information Technology into their curriculum but are lacking the training tools to use them in a creative and an effective way. Thanks to a partnership with EFK, the potential of those partners can grow further, as will the motivation of the children to explore the possibilities of the computer."
The partnership of the two non-profits is a natural fit. It allows both organizations to collaborate to make an important contribution to quality education for children by offering pre-loaded, free eLearning for Kids courses in math, language arts, computers, and other topics to developing countries via the projects that Close the Gap supports. Other planned activities include jointly promoting "Learning and Computers" and collaborating on much-needed fundraising projects.
