South African school Phomolong Secondary has recently been upgraded with a solar powered internet classroom courtesy of Samsung, empowering students to be educated in technology even in areas of poor electricity supply.
The Africa Energy Awards’ African Solar Project of the Year aids electronically secluded areas by assisting with schooling through a fully kitted out, renovated shipping container.
This world-first establishment is only the beginning of Samsung’s goal to reach five million students by 2012.
The high school in the rural village of Phomolong, situated in Boksburg near Johannesburg, greatly benefits from this addition to their teaching.
Portable solar powered education stations are each equipped with Internet-enabled notebooks, a 50-inch electronic board, Samsung Galaxy tablet computers, Wi-Fi cameras and a file server containing the entire South African school curriculum (grade 0 -12). Other essential extras include a router, LED Samsung lights, an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and an energy efficient refrigerator. Every 12 metre long unit can host 21 learners at a time.
Samsung’s effort to help underdeveloped African communities gives access to modern educational facilities and boosts connectivity across the continent.
“With the goal to grow our business on the continent, we also know that we have to sustain our level of innovation,” President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Africa, KK Park told African Brains. “This can only be achieved if we invest in education to facilitate African thought-leadership and to ensure we have access to a large workforce of skilled engineers in the future. The Solar Powered Internet School is a great example of this strategy at play.”
Panelled solar supply empowers classrooms to run actively online for nine hours per day. It can also endure without sunlight for approximately one and a half days. The system is also fitted to withstand harsh weather conditions. The mobility of these blue boxes with fold-in, rubber solar panels makes the transport and establishment quite practical in remote destinations throughout Africa.
