DOHA: WISE 2012 awards presented yesterday to six winning projects for their innovative approaches and positive impact on societies and education.
H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser presented awards to winners at an event held at the Qatar National Convention Centre on the second day of the World Innovation Summit for Education. Solar-Powered Floating Schools in Bangladesh, Cristo Rey Network Corporate Work Study Programme in the United States, RoboBraille in Denmark, Satya Bharti School Programme in India, PSU Educarchile in Chile and Cambodian Children’s Fund – Generational Change through Education in Cambodia were recognised for their contribution toward educating children.
This year’s awardees were selected under the theme of ‘Transforming Education’ and each was presented with a cash prize of $20,000. A seven-member jury selected this year’s winners from the 20 finalists. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani, Chairman of WISE, was the chairman of the jury.
Solar-Powered, Floating Schools ensures year round education to students from flood affected areas in Bangladesh. Boats serve as both classrooms and school buses, taking students to and from school.
In India Satya Bharti School Programme delivers high quality, holistic education to underprivileged children in rural India. It influences positive community organization and provides local income support through school-based job opportunities.
Cambodian Children’s Fund Generational Change through Education in Cambodia is a community-based programme for the thousands of children who were forced to live and work in the garbage dumps. Cristo Rey Network Corporate Work Study Program in United States provides quality preparatory education to low-income students from 25 high schools.
Robo Braille in Denmark is a free web-based device that converts educational materials into formats such as Braille, mp3 files, audio books, e-books, and visual Braille. PSU Educarchile in Chile is the first online high school programme to prepare students for the mandatory University Admission Test. It provides free educational materials, mobile podcasts, and collaborative software to low-income students. The programme supports 1,200,000 students per year.
The Peninsula
