The following describes the Reno Cigar Lions presentation at the Truckee Meadows Community College - Washoe County School District Technology Cafe 2009 event. We demonstrated Vector Linux and Simutrans on refurbished PCs. Several elementary and middle schools have expressed interest in actively participating in the program as a result.
Technology Café 2009 Presenter Handout
Presentation Content/Topic: Reno Cigar Lions Computers for Kids
Description: The Reno Cigar Lions focus project is to procure, refurbish and distribute – at no cost to the recipient - computers (with open source operating system, browser and office productivity software) for "Cyber Community Centers" and to qualified young people seeking to further their education. Recipients of Computers for Kids Program computers are young people currently residing in the Truckee Meadows who meet certain criteria and cannot afford to purchase computers. Participants must be sponsored by a non-profit, church, youth or education group which is responsible for selecting qualified students/young people and monitoring participation in RCL's Computers for Kids project.
Relevant Websites:
http://www.osnv.org/ichttp://www.osnv.org/ic/Kidshttp://lionssearch.org/Materials necessary for classroom replication: The RCL Computers for Kids project does not require any materials in the classroom. The purpose of the project is to bridge the 'digital divide' and provide technology to young people who would not otherwise have access to computers at home.
Cost of those materials: The Reno Cigar Lions Computers for Kids project is to procure, refurbish and distribute – at no cost to the recipient - computers (with open source operating system, browser and office productivity software) for "Cyber Community Centers" and to qualified young people seeking to further their education.
Classroom applications beyond what you are presenting today: Economic Simulations Labs - Economic simulations are part of the you learn by doing philosophy of teaching. Computer based simulations labs can create an environment that is very close to the processes of real world business and can accelerate the process and thus the learning.
On behalf of the Reno Cigar Lions, I thank the Vector Linux community for all of your contributions to our project. Your efforts have allowed us to bridge the 'digital divide' for hundreds of deserving young people by providing them with access to state-of-the-art software - Vector Linux.....!
Thank you.....
