The Future of Education is Open

...IF you have access to the Internet

The High Cost of Under-Education

More than 1.2 million students drop out of school every year. That's more than 6,000 students every school day and one every 26 seconds. Nearly 44 percent of dropouts under age 24 are jobless, and the unemployment rate of high school dropouts older than 25 is more than three times that of college graduates. Dropouts from the class of 2007 alone will cost our nation more than $300 Billion in lost wages, lost taxes, and lost productivity. [Source: The Broad Education Foundation]

Home Internet Access is Essential

According to a study completed by Michigan State University on the impact of residential Internet access on academic achievement: Early home [Internet] access for all children may be critical to leveling the educational playing field. Additionally, the study found thatthe "children most likely to benefit from home Internet accesspoor children whose academic performance is below average are the very children least likely to have home Internet access." [Source:MindLab.org]

Multiple Barriers to Internet Adoption

A study completed by the FCC in 2010 on Broadband Adoption in Low Income Communitiesfound that: Hardware costs, hidden fees, billing transparency, quality of service, and availability are major issues for low-income communities.(In essence, a $500+ computer and $30-50/mo. Internet connection are simply out of reach for many low-income families.) Libraries and other community organizations fill the gap between low home adoption and high community demand. However, these support organizationsare under severe pressure to meet community connectivity needs.

eCommUnity - A Cost-Effective Solution

Setup a Technology Center using donated computers to provide training and computer access for residents. Install at least one wireless mesh access point adoption of home Internet access for residents. Train volunteers to assist residents with basic Internet skills, such as: online learning and research, document creation, job searches, and more. to

provide community wireless access and drive the

eCommUnity - Long Term Goals

Assistresidents in obtaining at least one low-cost computing device, such as a tablet, netbook, or donated computer using the Earn While You Learn loan program. Advocate for low-cost broadband Internet access using wireless mesh networking to reduce the monthly cost per resident to less than $20/mo. Partner with local schools and community groups to provide onsite/online training/tutoring for residents using online tools, such as: Khan Academy, Google+ Hangouts, andYouTube EDU.

Recommended Sites
Densely populated urban communities currently underserved for residential Internet access, such as: Low-Income Housing Development Apartment Complex Mobile Home Park Daycare/Community Center

eCommUnity WiFi Access Models

Centralized (Recommended)- Work with local community organizations (e.g., civic groups, housing authorities, churches, community centers, etc.) to build and manage the computer lab and mesh network, obtain low-cost computing devices, and assist residents with basic technology training. De-Centralized- Residents purchase Connection Kits and share a single Internet connection at a 5-to-1 ratio to reduce costs for each resident to (potentially) less than $10/mo.

Open Educational Resources

Open Curriculum: http://www.khanacademy.org http://www.youtube.com/education http://ed.ted.com/lessons http://www.udacity.com https://www.edx.org http://venture-lab.org http://coursera.org Open Textbooks: http://www.ck12.org http://www.oercommons.org http://www.bookboon.com/en/textbooks http://cnx.org/ Digital Textbook Playbook

The Future of Learning

Connect - Create - Collaborate

Getting Started
Review the eCommUnity website for more information. Join the Google+ Community to join training Hangouts and ask questions. Circle/Like/Share the Google+ and Facebook pages. Determine a suitable location for a Technology Center, and identify a few volunteers from the community to lead the effort in technology adoption.

Partners and Volunteers

Carolina Free PC Clemson University Institute for Economic and Community Development Americorps Upstate Carolina Linux Users Group Geeks Without Frontiers Mountain Area Information Network ...and the volunteers and mentors who make eCommUnity possible!