The Leland Initiative's Approach to
Assisting African Schools with Internet Use:
Partners for Internet in Education
Accra, Ghana

The Beginning
In preparation for piloting the Leland Initiative's School-to-School Partnership Program, a survey was conducted in November 1996 of the primary and secondary schools in Accra that were using computers for teaching purposes. In February 1997, when an AED/Leland training team returned to provide Internet training for USAID partners, two one-day training sessions were reserved for approximately 50 teachers, many of whom were identified through the earlier survey. Per the Leland end-user training design, the training focused on both skill development and the application of the Internet to the participants' professional goals. During the discussions that followed the hands-on skills building, the participants decided to form an association focusing on Ghanaian schools' use of the Internet. This became known as the Partners for Internet in Education (PIE) association. The following is their mission statement:

To become a catalyst for the popularization of the use of the computer and the Internet in particular for education as a means of widening the scope of both teachers and students to the rapidly advancing world of knowledge. (May 1997)

Gaining Momentum
With the support of the USAID/Accra Leland Coordinator, PIE members began holding monthly meetings in March 1997. Soon thereafter, USAID/Accra provided a grant for Internet connections, training, and modems for 20 Ghanaian schools in support of PIE's efforts. Applicant schools were required to have a computer (minimum 386) and a phone line (reserved for Internet use only) in place before applying. Many schools had difficulty obtaining the extra phone line, as many areas of Accra are saturated and new phone lines are not available. This problem continues; however, the majority of PIE members are online.

Founding PIE members included representatives from more than a dozen Ghanaian schools and three private sector organizations. The training participants who followed through in creating PIE were those who had previously committed to using computer technologies in their schools, many of which were privately funded and had established computer facilities. In this way, PIE fulfilled an existing need. As a result, schools that had not yet considered using computers and the Internet had not been actively encouraged to participate in this forum (primarily due to Leland's lack of human and financial resources to properly support those schools). It is the hope, however, that through PIE's effort to create partnerships between Ghanaian schools that have Internet connections and those who don't, PIE will help build educators' awareness about the Internet and become a catalyst for increased use of the Internet in Ghanaian schools.

By August 1997, PIE finalized its committee structure and began collaborating with the World Bank's World Links for Development (WorLD) program. Committees allowed PIE members to maximize their energies to support existing members and create a plan to recruit new members, begin supporting domestic and international partnership activities between schools, explore Internet resources and identify those relevant to Ghanaian curricula, mobilize financial and in-kind resources for school connectivity, and advocate for the use of Internet in Ghanaian schools. PIE was then prepared to propose PIE membership to the 14 WorLD schools-selected secondary schools that were provided with computers and an Internet connection. WorLD schools are located in Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi, and already had some overlap with PIE member schools. By becoming PIE members, WorLD schools not only contribute their online experiences, but also will benefit from other members' support and ideas.

Momentum Continued
Much of PIE's initial focus was on member schools' Internet connectivity. PIE members assisted one another in exploring resources and solutions to technical and training problems. In addition, to help PIE members take full advantage of the Internet training provided in the USAID grant for 20 schools, USAID provided its computer training facilities for one week in August 1997 so that (PIE teacher) trainees could first be given a refresher course in computer literacy by fellow PIE teachers. This support, though simple, was essential to the success of this program.

In early 1998, PIE held elections for executive committee officers and finalized their constitution. The structure was in place for expansion, built on a strong foundation of demonstrated commitment. Also in the beginning months of 1998, several partnerships between PIE member schools and American schools in the Washington, DC, area were planned by the teachers for the 1998-99 school year.

Looking Ahead
PIE will continue their momentum in many ways. In May 1998, PIE was formally registered as an association, which will support its structure for continued expansion presumably beginning with WorLD members schools (perhaps requiring two new city chapters of PIE). Plans for supporting PIE member schools include soliciting Ghanaian private sector support, and making PIE more visible through conferences and a PIE web page. PIE's presence on the web will also be used to facilitate international partnerships involving PIE member schools.

More opportunities for collaboration were put into place with the signing of the GLOBE Program agreement in March 1998 Ghanaian primary and secondary schools are now free to participate in this global science program, which has a large (but not mandatory) online component. Plans for joint Leland-GLOBE-WorLD training are materializing, along with Peace Corps participation in GLOBE and PIE activities through their work with secondary school math and science teachers. PIE involvement with the Ghana Chapter of the Internet Society has also begun.

It is important to note that PIE members have shown amazing commitment to a tool that is still a serious challenge to use in Ghana, especially in school settings. Throughout this process, they have received guidance and support from USAID/Accra and the Leland Initiative. The resulting exchange of ideas and lessons has been very rewarding for all of those involved, and we look forward to continued success.

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