ABOUT DIGITAL BRIDGES 4 NEPAL
WHO ARE WE?
Digital Bridges 4 Nepal is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the United States. This organization was founded by Edmond Antoine, an entrepreneur and executive team coach with more than twenty years of experience with multiple corporations and associations. During this time, Ed successfully created his own companies, Team Global Network and Creative Collaborative Coaching. Ed is the President of the Board, and other board members include Prava Adhikari (Vice President), Craig Frischling (Treasurer), William Johenning (Secretary), and Claude Roussel (Director).
We were founded in 2015, right after a devastating earthquake struck Nepal. Initially, we were focused on assisting with relief efforts. In 2017, we created a library room for a school where we provided computers to the students there. From there, we decided to focus directly on education and technology, which led us to the projects we carry out today. Digital Bridges 4 Nepal has a Memorandum of Understanding with our local organization, incorporated as a local NGO in Nepal. We work with them to choose and carry out all our projects, ensuring that they are both sustainable and scalable. DB4N also fully funds a full-time project coordinator dedicated to our team in Nepal to properly execute all projects. This role provides local knowledge, relationships, and expertise, and is vital for projects to be completed both on time and within our budget.
THE PROBLEM
In Nepal, rural regions do not have the same access to technology that is found in urban areas such as Kathmandu, or countries in close regions such as the UAE. Thus, many children and young adults are not able to have complete access to the technology they want or need for their education. As infrastructure is being built in these mountainous regions and government decentralization is occurring, there is a push for decisions to occur at the local level. Unfortunately, most remote areas do not have the resources to create their own technological infrastructure. For example, internet connection is not widely available in remote regions, and thus many students want to leave their communities to be able to access this to gain academic and professional opportunities. Through our projects, we are providing these students with the choice to remain in their community with the access to the modern education that they desire.
OUR VISION
DB4N’s mission is to close the technological and educational gap that exists in rural areas of Nepal. The disparities in opportunities for students in these regions impact their ability to remain in their communities, as many students leave their homes to seek education in urban regions or other countries. Our vision is to expand into other geographic regions as well, providing this support on a multi-national level.
OUR CONCEPT: THE CLEC
We accomplish our mission through the creation of an innovative classroom to address this growing issue. The Computer Learning Environment Center, or CLEC™, is a classroom concept which combines technology with a reimagined classroom setting. The layout of this classroom is built on the foundation of collaboration and student participation (see diagram below). The CLEC™ can be applied to many different subjects, but is specifically created for students in Grade 11 and above.
We provide the school with a mesh router, a remotely controlled camera, a Smart TV, sixteen computer CPUs and monitors. The tables are constructed by a local contracted carpenter who is a partner with the DB4N team. All of the equipment and other furniture is sourced and bought locally to support vendors in the communities. Internet access itself is not provided by DB4N; however, we serve as advisors for the provision of internet within the schools and communities where CLECs™ are installed. At a minimum, we require ADSL connection within our agreement with the schools that we partner with. As well, we are aware of the plan of Nepal Telecom to install 4G internet connection throughout Nepal. We work with the rural municipalities, and we help coordinate with the school management committee as well as the school administration to engage the community to use the CLEC™ outside of the school’s needs. The CLEC™ is thus also built to be open for community access to provide resources for them.
OUR PILOT: SOTANG CAMPUS
We installed our pilot CLEC™ project at the Sotang College Campus in 2019. To obtain a Bachelor of Education degree, it was necessary for students to take certain ICT elective classes. With this, DB4N partnered with the college to install a CLEC™ for these students to allow them to complete their degrees.. We were able to successfully install the classroom to fit the needs of the students, and we helped hire two teachers in the process; one was an English teacher and was given a stipend by DB4N so that the class could be facilitated in both Nepali and English. The data and testimonials we received proved that this classroom format worked and allowed students to access technology even in these remote regions.
CURRENT AND FORMER PROJECTS
DB4N has installed two CLECs™ to date, and is currently in the process of installing a third one. Our second project was also extremely successful, and has since been altered due to COVID-19 to a hybrid learning model, proving the CLEC™ to be an adaptable learning platform which can be applied in different formats. Our third project, taking place in the rural municipality of Nason, will be completed by the end of 2021.
EXISITING EFFORTS
While there are many efforts to improve education throughout the country, there is not enough of a focus on ensuring that remote areas receive resources and support, specifically in terms of technology. There are current efforts, mostly from the government, to improve access to technology, but they do not have the resources to assist these communities at scale. Other efforts include initiatives to establish internet connection in rural areas, such as RUCCESS Community Learning Hubs.
OUR GOAL
Our goal is to install 100 CLECs™ throughout rural regions of Nepal by the year 2030. With this, we will have the ability to impact 100 communities, reaching 100,000 students and providing 3,000 teachers with this powerful new pedagogy and technology.
SUSTAINABILITY AND SCALABILITY
One of our main priorities is ensuring that installed CLECs™ are functional on a long-term basis. This is done by keeping contact with the school administration post-installation, and providing ongoing technical support as needed. We are also in the process of testing teacher training programs with teachers from different areas of Nepal, with the intent of promoting future CLECs™ for other communities. This is a scalable project, as teachers will be able to utilize skills learned to then teach their students across the country. In the future, we plan for the CLEC™ training component to be a paid service (after seven CLECs™ are installed) so that the training service will pay for itself and allow exponentially more teachers to be trained in ICT.
Equally important, we have already discussed applying this concept to different sectors, such as the medical field, to bring about more collaboration. We also hope to scale the CLEC™ by branching out into other countries once we accomplish our goals in Nepal in the coming years.
BUDGET AND FINANCIALS
In order to reach our goal of 100 CLECs™ by 2030, we need to acquire $2.5 million USD to fund our designated projects. Our financial breakdown is as follows: computer equipment and proprietary design (60%), transportation (10%), initial support (10%), organizational cost (20%). The total cost per CLEC™ is $20,000 USD (2021 conversion rates). Our main sources of income at the moment are through individual donors and small grants, but we are expanding our philanthropic reach to larger donors as well.
OUR IMPACT DATA
We have several Key Performance Indicators which allow us to identify our impact. Along with our KPIs, we have begun to collect qualitative data through surveys and interviews to study our impact on students and teachers, as well as the greater community. We will partner with the Kathmandu University School of Education to carry out this data collection.
Key Performance Indicators
Digital Bridges 4 Nepal is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the United States. This organization was founded by Edmond Antoine, an entrepreneur and executive team coach with more than twenty years of experience with multiple corporations and associations. During this time, Ed successfully created his own companies, Team Global Network and Creative Collaborative Coaching. Ed is the President of the Board, and other board members include Prava Adhikari (Vice President), Craig Frischling (Treasurer), William Johenning (Secretary), and Claude Roussel (Director).
We were founded in 2015, right after a devastating earthquake struck Nepal. Initially, we were focused on assisting with relief efforts. In 2017, we created a library room for a school where we provided computers to the students there. From there, we decided to focus directly on education and technology, which led us to the projects we carry out today. Digital Bridges 4 Nepal has a Memorandum of Understanding with our local organization, incorporated as a local NGO in Nepal. We work with them to choose and carry out all our projects, ensuring that they are both sustainable and scalable. DB4N also fully funds a full-time project coordinator dedicated to our team in Nepal to properly execute all projects. This role provides local knowledge, relationships, and expertise, and is vital for projects to be completed both on time and within our budget.
THE PROBLEM
In Nepal, rural regions do not have the same access to technology that is found in urban areas such as Kathmandu, or countries in close regions such as the UAE. Thus, many children and young adults are not able to have complete access to the technology they want or need for their education. As infrastructure is being built in these mountainous regions and government decentralization is occurring, there is a push for decisions to occur at the local level. Unfortunately, most remote areas do not have the resources to create their own technological infrastructure. For example, internet connection is not widely available in remote regions, and thus many students want to leave their communities to be able to access this to gain academic and professional opportunities. Through our projects, we are providing these students with the choice to remain in their community with the access to the modern education that they desire.
OUR VISION
DB4N’s mission is to close the technological and educational gap that exists in rural areas of Nepal. The disparities in opportunities for students in these regions impact their ability to remain in their communities, as many students leave their homes to seek education in urban regions or other countries. Our vision is to expand into other geographic regions as well, providing this support on a multi-national level.
OUR CONCEPT: THE CLEC
We accomplish our mission through the creation of an innovative classroom to address this growing issue. The Computer Learning Environment Center, or CLEC™, is a classroom concept which combines technology with a reimagined classroom setting. The layout of this classroom is built on the foundation of collaboration and student participation (see diagram below). The CLEC™ can be applied to many different subjects, but is specifically created for students in Grade 11 and above.
We provide the school with a mesh router, a remotely controlled camera, a Smart TV, sixteen computer CPUs and monitors. The tables are constructed by a local contracted carpenter who is a partner with the DB4N team. All of the equipment and other furniture is sourced and bought locally to support vendors in the communities. Internet access itself is not provided by DB4N; however, we serve as advisors for the provision of internet within the schools and communities where CLECs™ are installed. At a minimum, we require ADSL connection within our agreement with the schools that we partner with. As well, we are aware of the plan of Nepal Telecom to install 4G internet connection throughout Nepal. We work with the rural municipalities, and we help coordinate with the school management committee as well as the school administration to engage the community to use the CLEC™ outside of the school’s needs. The CLEC™ is thus also built to be open for community access to provide resources for them.
OUR PILOT: SOTANG CAMPUS
We installed our pilot CLEC™ project at the Sotang College Campus in 2019. To obtain a Bachelor of Education degree, it was necessary for students to take certain ICT elective classes. With this, DB4N partnered with the college to install a CLEC™ for these students to allow them to complete their degrees.. We were able to successfully install the classroom to fit the needs of the students, and we helped hire two teachers in the process; one was an English teacher and was given a stipend by DB4N so that the class could be facilitated in both Nepali and English. The data and testimonials we received proved that this classroom format worked and allowed students to access technology even in these remote regions.
CURRENT AND FORMER PROJECTS
DB4N has installed two CLECs™ to date, and is currently in the process of installing a third one. Our second project was also extremely successful, and has since been altered due to COVID-19 to a hybrid learning model, proving the CLEC™ to be an adaptable learning platform which can be applied in different formats. Our third project, taking place in the rural municipality of Nason, will be completed by the end of 2021.
EXISITING EFFORTS
While there are many efforts to improve education throughout the country, there is not enough of a focus on ensuring that remote areas receive resources and support, specifically in terms of technology. There are current efforts, mostly from the government, to improve access to technology, but they do not have the resources to assist these communities at scale. Other efforts include initiatives to establish internet connection in rural areas, such as RUCCESS Community Learning Hubs.
OUR GOAL
Our goal is to install 100 CLECs™ throughout rural regions of Nepal by the year 2030. With this, we will have the ability to impact 100 communities, reaching 100,000 students and providing 3,000 teachers with this powerful new pedagogy and technology.
SUSTAINABILITY AND SCALABILITY
One of our main priorities is ensuring that installed CLECs™ are functional on a long-term basis. This is done by keeping contact with the school administration post-installation, and providing ongoing technical support as needed. We are also in the process of testing teacher training programs with teachers from different areas of Nepal, with the intent of promoting future CLECs™ for other communities. This is a scalable project, as teachers will be able to utilize skills learned to then teach their students across the country. In the future, we plan for the CLEC™ training component to be a paid service (after seven CLECs™ are installed) so that the training service will pay for itself and allow exponentially more teachers to be trained in ICT.
Equally important, we have already discussed applying this concept to different sectors, such as the medical field, to bring about more collaboration. We also hope to scale the CLEC™ by branching out into other countries once we accomplish our goals in Nepal in the coming years.
BUDGET AND FINANCIALS
In order to reach our goal of 100 CLECs™ by 2030, we need to acquire $2.5 million USD to fund our designated projects. Our financial breakdown is as follows: computer equipment and proprietary design (60%), transportation (10%), initial support (10%), organizational cost (20%). The total cost per CLEC™ is $20,000 USD (2021 conversion rates). Our main sources of income at the moment are through individual donors and small grants, but we are expanding our philanthropic reach to larger donors as well.
OUR IMPACT DATA
We have several Key Performance Indicators which allow us to identify our impact. Along with our KPIs, we have begun to collect qualitative data through surveys and interviews to study our impact on students and teachers, as well as the greater community. We will partner with the Kathmandu University School of Education to carry out this data collection.
Key Performance Indicators
- Students Using the CLEC™:
As of November 2022, over 500 students have used the CLECs™ installed in remote areas. - Teachers Employed:
To date 15 teachers (11 women and 4 men) have been gainfully employed in the CLECs™. - Teachers Trained in ICT:
In 2019, 31 teachers were trained by Digital Bridges 4 Nepal. In addition, 33 teachers were trained in 2020. - Student Enrollment:
62 students enrolled for classes in the CLEC™ during the 2020-2021 school year. - Exam Scores:
At Sotang campus, the 2019 ICT exam was passed by 100% of students enrolled in the CLEC™.