Project Goal:
LeFlambeau Foundation is committed to assisting the people of Haiti by developing intellectual infrastructure. High school students living in Haiti are awarded U.S. college scholarships focused on building expertise in Haiti’s core growth engines: agriculture, engineering, or international commerce.  Upon graduation, Le Flambeau scholars return to Haiti and devote a minimum of two years working on initiatives that contribute to the economic rebuilding of the country.

The goal of this project is to provide access to English and computer learning tools to bright students in Haiti through the construction of a computer lab in Cap-Haïtien.  Please see the CGC website (http://chicagogc.org/roomtoreadprojects_computer.htm) for information on a similar project the group completed.

Project Scope:
The project will involve two phases.  The first phase will involve financial planning and procuring funding, as well as the procurement of e-learning content.  The second phase will involve planning the computer lab, including planning how to obtain equipment and address infrastructure needs.

Brief Description:
The projects goal is the creation of a computer lab in Cap-Haïtien that addresses the learning needs of  high-achieving students who wish to pursue higher education outside of Haiti.  In order to be competitive, students need tools that will help them prepare for exams that have been computerized.

The project will have two major phases.  In the first phase, students will work to design the model for the computer lab that accounts for the format of the e-learning content, and the general setup.  Based on these assessments, the students will also engage in the financial planning for the project and search for funding sources accordingly.  Students will need to research suppliers and funding for the e-learning content.

The second phase of the project will involve infrastructure planning, including technology planning and accounting for additional limitations present in a developing country.  An understanding of potential ongoing needs to sustain the lab at the project’s completion will be helpful.

Team structure:
8 students, possibly organized into 2-3 subteams.

Timeline:
Fall and Winter Quarters with possible continuation into the spring.

Deliverables:
Financial planning and a proposal for potential funders

Procurement of funding and of the supplier of the e-learning content

Planning of the computer lab with an analysis and planning for additional infrastructure needs

Analysis of ongoing needs after the construction and launch of the lab

Resources:
Sheri Colas-Gervais, graduate of the Executive MBA Program

Useful resources:
Le Flambeau Foundation website:
http://Leflambeau-foundation.org

Resources on Philanthropy:
http://Philanthropy.com
http://Donorsforum.org