The Technology Core and Australian Collaboration Cambodia Repurposing Project for 2024 is underway!
In 2023, Technology Core and Australian Collaboration Cambodia (ACC), began a Repurposing Project to give new life to old tech in Cambodian schools. There were seven HDi interactive screens installed in a number of schools with training provided in person and online over the year to teachers who would be using them. This was a great success for all involved, and Tech Core and ACC planned to make the 2024 project even bigger with more screens being sent to Cambodia and for the first time, a large number of donated, refurbished laptops.
Loading a pallet of laptops ready for shipping
In 2023, Technology Core and Australian Collaboration Cambodia (ACC), began a Repurposing Project to give new life to old tech in Cambodian schools. There were seven HDi interactive screens installed in a number of schools with training provided in person and online over the year to teachers who would be using them.
A Visit To Cambodia During 2023 To Meet The Students
This was a great success for all involved, and Tech Core and ACC planned to make the 2024 project even bigger with more screens being sent to Cambodia and for the first time, a large number of donated, refurbished laptops. With the project proper happening in January 2024, there’s lots of logistical things that needs to happen to get everything there ready to be installed and setup for use.
The HDi Interactive Screens have been refurbished in our factory and are being shipped to hit Cambodia by the end of December. They are on their way to Santhormuk High School in Phnom Penh where they will be split into smaller shipments for some local schools as well as another lot delivered to schools in Siem Reap in the north. This requires careful planning to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.
To help do this once again, our local contact Sun Veasna, will handle things when they arrive as he knows the schools and has the contacts to get the screens where they need to be. Veasna was fully involved in the project in 2023 and as well as getting the screens to the schools organised the tools needed to install the screens. He will also coordinate with other transport providers to get the screens to the schools ready for him and myself (Peter Merrick) from Technology Core to go and install and begin training the teachers on using them.
One Of The Two Pallets Of Laptops Ready To Go
We really wanted this project to be bigger than what we did in 2023 and while the screens are an amazing resource that there was very little chance the schools would get access to, the issue of students having access to PCs was raised to us. Due to such low funding provided to schools, usually at $1USD per student per year, there is very little opportunity to purchase tech for their students and generally they forgo having anything more than a blackboard and paper in their classes. If they are lucky enough to have PCs it can often be at ratios of 30+ students to one PC, meaning very little opportunity to learn more deeply on using tech.
Max Stevenson At A School During The 2023 Project Visit
ACC and Tech Core put the call out and managed to gather over 60 refurbished laptops from some very generous donors including Peter Hingston, Our Lady of Mercy College and Learning With Technologies. Without their very generous donations, things would be looking a little less positive for making the project bigger than before. Again, logistical undertakings were needed to be done, and the devices have been packed and sent on their way from Tech Core’s warehouse in Bundoora to get to the same place as the screens. As they are lighter, they have gone by air so there was more time to setup and get things ready. The ACC will distribute the laptops when the project starts in Cambodia and we are very excited to work with the schools to help them in getting the best from them with the HDi Interactive Screens.
During the project, we will be updating the blog and our social media pages to show how the project is progressing with lots of photos and videos to come, and throughout the year will bring more news on the success of the project.
Our hope is that more will come on board with what we want to achieve, and 2025 will be even bigger.
If you would like to help out, contact us with form below, or to donate to the ACC to help them continue their incredible work, head to www.australiancollaborationcambodia.org
