DigiKidz
In 2014, [email protected] was launched by the Foresee Foundation. It aims at providing students, teachers and management with the proper tools, infrastructure and training to make learning and teaching more engaging and beneficial in a technology driven world. The [email protected]’s pilot was first tested in the Hillside Christian School, the biggest primary school in St. Maarten. After its success at the Hillside school, two more DigiKidz projects were implemented from 2014 to 2016 in two other schools, The Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School and Helmich Snijder Hillside Christian School. The total population of all three schools consists of over 1,000 students and 100 staff members.
The framework consists of a school wide, wired and wireless network that is supported by an IT management software program. It aids students and staff with the logging in and the regulating of access to content. Every teacher receives a laptop and classrooms were also provided with digital boards . Each classsrooms had at least six laptops. Additionally all schools had 2 mobile carts with 24 laptops .
To complete the infrastructure package, several hardware items like photo, video, document cameras, headphones, LCD projectors and printers were added.
Teachers were trained in the use of the laptops, programs and digital boards, which was supported and encouraged by the management and the school boards of the mentioned schools. Each school had set-up a DigiKidz Team consisting of tech savvy enthusiastic teachers. Several staff members were trained to become iCoaches or Educational Technologists.
Students, teachers, management and school boards alike of the digikidz schools were very thankful and ecstatic about the projects. Teachers describe students as being more inquiring, more motivated and more curious towards learning, all because they are now able to provide more engaging activities to the students themselves.
The Foresee Foundation works closely with management and the T-Team within each school to ensure that the investments are supported by all levels and stakeholders involved in the school. Combining IT knowledge with actual teaching has been proven to be very successful so far. Free and commercial software and the use of online resources has allowed teachers to integrate the technology in the St. Maarten Foundation Based Education (FBE) curriculum.
As stated on our about page, funding was obtained for the first two projects through American based Windsong Trust (represented in the Caribbean/Anguilla by Windsong International Foundation), geared towards educational funding for children 18 years and younger. They recognize the importance of supplying St. Maarten schools with the necessary equipment in combination with a comprehensive approach including training, sustainable financing and support by all stakeholders.
The third DigiKidz school, Helmich Snijders, was fully funded by the local community. Service clubs, businesses, parents and school board made large donations showing their support for innovative 21st century education.
After hurricane Irma in September 2017, the municpality of Den Bosch decided to support St. Maarten in its recovery process and through Nos Baranka, a non profit organization by Dutch Caribbean citizens living in Den Bosch, Foresee Foundation was selected for a next DigiKidz project. The MAC School, John Rev. Gumbs Campus was selected to start with a DigiKidz project in 2 classrooms after the donation of 48 laptops The infrastructure for a small network was made possible through private funding.
The Foresee Foundation dreams of seeing the DigiKidz project implemented in all St. Maarten Primary schools whereas the foundation in the meantime has also expanded to some secondary schools with the program DigiTeenz.
Foresee Foundation’s projects and programs are supported by local project.teams. For DigiKidz the team comprised of mostly young St. Maarteners who hold their country, technology and education close to their hearts.
‘If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.’
DigiKidz launch Asha Stevens
DigiKidz launch Seventh Day Adventist School
DigiKidz launch Helmich Snijders
‘If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.’
