Sometimes we in the United States overlook the “big picture” in terms of technology.  To us, it’s frustrating when the Internet service is out and we can’t catch up on email, Facebook, or our favorite iTunes music and TV shows.  To many in the world, having the extensive connectivity we often take for granted is a distant goal – one they may not ever live to see.

What many of us also overlook is that the Internet provides an educational conduit, enabling access to countless volumes of information.  This access is be available to all users, regardless of social status or geographic location.  One of the reasons we founded Gallop is contained in our mission statement: “We believe that the world should be interconnected to facilitate communication and exchange.”  Clearly, the pervasiveness of the Internet and the services it provides have revolutionized our way of life, business, and education.  Ensuring access to that information is a tremendous challenge.

For the nearly two billion children living in developing nations around the world, improvements in bandwidth and availability of Internet access, Internet-based applications, and software don’t mean anything if they don’t have ready access to the Internet itself.  One major hurdle to worldwide communication has been the lack of reliable, affordable, and resilient hardware needed to access the Internet. This could jump-start their education through increased availability of information.

Arguably, the largest effort to combat this part of the problem has been an organization called “One Laptop Per Child“, or OLPC.  OLPC’s mission statement is “To create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.”  OLPC has created the “XO” laptop computer, successfully deploying over 500,000 laptops in 31 countries, including Mongolia, Ghana, Colombia, and even the USA.  Beyond just the laptop, OLPC assists with deploying School Servers and mesh networks that provide the Internet connectivity itself.

So how do we get involved to help put a dent in the global education crisis?  Of course, there are a number of ways.  Monetary or material donations to charities and other organizations are noble and worthy causes, and those that can should not shy away from such participation.  Sometimes, however, these options lack the “community” movement that unites participants in confronting such a global issue.

Today, Amazon.com announced a novel partnership with OLPC. Consumers can buy one XO laptop to donate to a child somewhere in the world, and they can then purchase one for themselves.  This is the second iteration of the “Give One, Get One” (G1G1) campaign.  Last year, over 160,000 laptops were purchased, and this year, even that admirable milestone should be surpassed.

I personally will be purchasing a G1G1 pair, with one going to my daughter as a holiday gift, and the other being donated per OLPC’s needs.  (Fortunately, she doesn’t read many blogs at her age, so the surprise should stay intact…)  Those interested in participating in the “traditional” sense can also choose to purchase as many laptops as they want to be distributed to children in need.

You may not want to contribute to the project through the G1G1 program, but please consider contributing to OLPC in any way you can.  Whether though direct donation, education and awareness, or volunteering to help with the program, the education of the world’s children is a truly worthy cause that will benfit our increasingly global society for years to come.

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