OLPC Orcas
Welcome to an adventure in learning, discovery,
community support and imagination.
A Message From Suzanne
I am so grateful to those who made this program possible! We have just begun the club, and already it is truly gratifying to see these particular students so focused. Plus, they are working together, showing each other each exciting new discovery as they get acquainted with their units. These are not necessarily kids who have the strongest cooperation skills, so seeing them helping each other out, and turning to each other for this help, is especially gratifying.
I very much look forward to this new year, when the school schedule is more settled, and we will be able to meet more regularly to develop and expand their computer, and other communication, skills. There are a number of other students who I hope to be able to include in the club as our resources allow. I plan to have this first group mentor the next batch we bring in, which will be a new, and valuable, role for these boys, and yet another area where these cute little units will allow them to grow.
This is such a wonderful opportunity for those who would not have it otherwise, and again, I say thank you!
The XO Club meets during lunch hour in Suzanne’s class in the Elementary School. OLPC Orcas meets everywhere (email, Enzo’s, Erbs, Roses, Library, etc.) on an as needed basis to plan how to support Suzanne and her brood.
Not in any order of priority, here are some ways you can help:
* identify a child who might benefit from access to an XO and the club
* volunteer your time to take on various tasks, such as becoming (or identifying, or funding) a technical person to help ensure OLPC Orcas is current; becoming a information liaison with the XO and OLPC community, combing the literature and contacting people to see what they are doing which might improve what we are doing; helping Suzanne with promoting the distribution of XO laptops for the special needs community in western Washington
* funding OLPC Orcas (with any amount) to expand the impact of XO’s as a means of enriching learning, interpersonal communication and competencies for kids. We get our XO’s from ebay; they are virtually new. The average winning bid is $250 per computer.
OLPC Orcas is a micro organization on Orcas Island dedicated to supporting discovery and educational opportunity for children through the acquisition and distribution of XO laptops. The XO laptop, created at MIT, is being distributed to children all over the world via the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization started by Nicholas Negroponte. (More)
Suzanne McClure, 3rd/4th grade and special education teacher at Orcas Elementary School, created the XO Club in order to channel the excitement generated by the first two XO’s donated to the school. OLPC Orcas was conceived by Joe Symons, who provided startup XO’s and serves as the imagineer and impresario in the wings. Anita Orne works with Joe to develop publicity and fundraising in order to acquire more XO’s. OIEF partners with OLPC Orcas to give donors tax benefits for making donations toward this initiative. Members of the Orcas Community help by donating funds. Fourth graders of all skill and development levels are the troops on the ground.
