Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn is busy bringing OLPC laptops to Illinois students

by Giovanni Glass March 26, 2008 3:12 pm Permalink
455 views Filed under: deaf, Illinois, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn
Source: myjournalcourier, standingupforillinois

First graders Lulu Witworth-Roberts and Esperanza Garcia

Myjournalcourier reports that last Thursday morning, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois gave first-grade students of the Illinois School of the Deaf (ISD) in Jacksonville brand-new OLPC laptops. From the article:

Principal Sue Brosmith reminded them the computers were not toys. And, if they broke the computer, they won’t get a new one. The children can take the computers home and get to keep them when school is done.
“We’ll pretend we’re on ‘Oprah,’” Ms. Brosmith said as she handed out the computers by grade.

The school currently doesn't have WiFi Internet access yet, but the children are able to collaborate and share over the OLPC wireless mesh. They hope to have wireless access soon.

Last November, 40 OLPC laptops from the Give-1-Get-1 program were given to Illinois School of the Deaf as part of a grant from Western Illinois University and the lieutenant governor's office. Earlier this month, the governor's office also gave Forest Park School District 91 students 100 OLPC laptops. In February, 33 OLPC laptops were awarded by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to third graders as part of a statewide essay contest. The essay topic was, "How can a laptop change your community and change the world?" A video of the contest can be viewed here.

Quinn and other local state officials are pushing the Children's Low-Cost Laptop Act (HB 5000) into law. The act will provide state-wide a fund for elementary school students in up to 300 schools with low-cost laptops. Any school can submit an application for funding.

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Forest Park Elementary students in Illinois test OLPC laptops

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