Stars Align to Help Haitian Schools
STARS Alliance Computing Students Opt for Alternative 2012 Spring Break
CHARLOTTE, NC – XXXX – A group of 12 undergraduate and Ph.D. students from UNC Charlotte’s College of Computing and Informatics and four other universities won’t be thinking sun and sand during this year’s Spring Break. Accompanied by six faculty and community mentors, the students will spend two weeks, March 5 to 19, volunteering and sharing computer expertise with schoolteachers and primary and secondary students in Haiti.
Participants are part of the Students & Technology in Academia, Research & Service
(STARS) Leadership Corps, a STARS Alliance (starsalliance.org) program that develops leaders to impact the world through computing. Led by the College of Computing and Informatics, STARS is a national consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to preparing a larger, more diverse computing workforce for the 21st Century.
During the trip, STARS students and professors will train teachers and students to use kid-friendly laptops and computer-based education to enhance learning and creativity. They will also train and mentor 24 local Haitian high school girls who will continue to promote learning with computers once the trip is over.
“One reason that many U.S. students do not pursue computing-based college majors is the perception that computing careers focus solely on technology not people,” said Dr. Teresa Dahlberg, Professor and Associate Dean of the UNC Charlotte College of Computing and Informatics; “The STARS Leadership Corps challenges students to find innovative ways of leveraging technology to solve important social and global problems.”
The STARS alternative Spring Break builds on “High Hopes Haiti” (HHH), a project of Charlotte-headquartered 501c3 non-profit Mothering Across ContinentsSM (MAC) in collaboration with non-profit Hands for Haiti. HHH officially launched in June 2011 when MAC was selected by the Waveplace Foundation (http://waveplace.org/) as a partner to provide XO laptops, training and educational courseware to three schools in northern, rural Haiti, within 90 minutes of the city of Cap Haitien. The XO laptops have received widespread recognition through the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) global education project.
Dr. Tiffany Barnes, Associate Professor of Computer Science, UNC Charlotte, an experienced developer of youth-focused educational software, will help guide the Spring Break trip. She also participated in the June 2011 launch. “The trip’s main goal is to enhance learning in Haitian schools through fun laptop games that promote inquiry-based learning while enabling STARS college students to apply their computing skills for social good,” said Dr. Barnes. With funding from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Teresa Dahlberg and Dr. Tiffany Barnes founded the STARS Alliance in 2005.
“We’re grateful for the interest and enthusiasm demonstrated by STARS students,” said Patricia Shafer, founder and chief catalyst, MAC. “And we’re excited by this example of non-profit organizations and academic institutions working together for global good.”
Once back in the U.S., trip participants will also make recommendations for future computing infrastructure improvements, educational software, and Internet access. Both MAC and STARS look forward to continuing this partnership that enriches students in both Haiti and the United States.
Individuals and organizations interested in making donations to support STARS college student travel and accommodations ($1,500) should contact: Ashley Peeler at 704.687.0389, [email protected]. To ask about donations for XO laptop purchases and other support for the Haitian schools, contact Courtney Jackson at 864.238.4801, [email protected]
About the STARS Alliance and the STARS Computing Corps
Since 2005, over 40 Colleges and Universities have implemented the innovative STARS Leadership Corps program, a co-curricular service-learning program for college students. In the U.S., students in the Corps collaborate with regional K-12 schools and industry and community partners to inform, engage and prepare students for entry and success in college computing programs. Students also participate in peer mentoring, team projects and research experiences. Students participating in the March 2012 trip to Haiti represent STARS Alliance institutions UNC Charlotte, Florida A&M University, North Carolina A&T University, Johnson C. Smith University, Indiana University and the University of Delaware.
About the College of Computing and Informatics
The College of Computing and Informatics provides academic programs in computer science, software and information systems, information technology, and bioinformatics. It is home to leading research centers and institutes, including the Cyber Defense and Network Assurability (CyberDNA) Center, Bioinformatics Research Center, Charlotte Visualization Center, Complex Systems Institute, Diversity in Information Technology Institute, and Software Solutions Lab. Active research grant awards total $35 million. cci.uncc.edu
About UNC Charlotte
UNC Charlotte is North Carolina’s urban research university, fourth largest campus among 17 institutions of The University of North Carolina system, and largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region. Spring 2011 enrollment exceeded 25,300 students, including approximately 5,000 graduate students.
About MAC
Mothering Across ContinentsSM (MAC) http://www.motheringacrosscontinents.org/ is a 501c3 non-profit through which volunteer “catalysts” receive consulting, coaching and mentoring to develop dream projects that help raise tomorrow’s leaders. The MAC mission is “Adopting Dreams. Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders.” Currently, MAC supports projects in South Africa, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Haiti and Hong Kong. For more information: Tel.: 704.607.0098; email: [email protected]
STARS Alliance will take me on their trip to Haiti, as a FPA blogger and Communication Coordinator of Charlotte-Haiti Rotary Club, an exciting opportunity. We thank the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for presenting us with this opportunity.
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