On Sat, 15 Jun 2002, Raju Mathur wrote:
Here in Delhi we're trying to make a small step towards popularising
Linux in education, starting with schools. The project is called LEAP
(Linux in Education Awareness Programme) and currently has one mailing
list (school-request linux-delhi.org?subject=subscribe),
archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/school%40linux-delhi.org/ .
We appreciate the social aspect of promoting Linux -- one of the items
on the agenda is to ensure that presentations to schools include a
healthy dose of the philosophy behind free software along with
pragmatic (technical and commercial) reasons for switching to Linux.
We are currently in the process of making a presentation kit which
volunteers can use to popularise the idea in schools they have close
associations with (e.g. alma maters, childrens' school, etc). The kit
will contain presentation materials, booklets on Linux, posters and
Linux CD's based on Red Hat customised for school use.
The biggest question facing us right now is whether or not to involve
commercial organisations in this project, and, if the answer is yes,
how to determine the parameters of the engagement. We are hoping to
be able to make the first step (at least) without requiring outside
resources.
If you have experience in similar endeavours I'd be glad if you joined
the list. The task list is still small, but we need all the help that
we can get.
I had a quick look for linux in schools and added some random
international links below - some only spanish or brasilian. Does the
language make it useless? I wondered if the possibility of making links
with people doing similar things in other continents might be a natural
'selling point' for free software in schools - it's something they often
do anyway, but it comes naturally with free software (which is inherently
international), unlike proprietary software (which is, outside the US,
usually inherently 'foreign' - quite a different thing ;-)
http://www.k12ltsp.org/ (oregon, us)
http://www.saulotoron.net/ (canary islands)
http://www.wensleydale.n-yorks.sch.uk/ (yorkshire, uk)
http://www.linex.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=19
(Extremadura, Spain)
http://www.redeescolarlivre.rs.gov.br/index.html (Rio Grande, Brasil)
http://linux.lexilog.org.uk/ (linux in schools analysis)