RSC Tech Clubs

Developing structured education-based technology clubs that give access to individuals practical workforce skills, a peer to peer support program and mentoring. This is driven regionally by private/public partnerships providing guidance and input allowing participants on both spectra of the socio-economic and digital divide to participate and benefit.

1. Accessibility to relevant technology based training in 21st Century skills
2. Availability of equal opportunities for globalized employment in low socio-economic backgrounds.
3. Lack of a seamless system to allow awareness and easy access for public and Corporate Social Responsibility support

The concept has been successfully piloted in Trinidad and Tobago and is expanding to the rest of the Caribbean with clubs started in Belize, St. Vincent and St Lucia. RSC has received multiple awards and grants for our RSC Tech Club model including:

1. The Community Service Heroes award by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in 2015.
2. Idea to Innovation Award in 2015 by the Council for competitiveness and Innovation, Ministry of planning Trinidad and Tobago.
3. Amway International Hero award for generosity in 2016.
4. United Nations Global Environment Facility grant in 2017.

The concept will initially improve the capacity of schools and the community to be able to deliver tech based programs by developing an additional hundred RSC Tech Clubs. This will then improve the skills of at least twenty participants per club and its adopted beneficiaries to make them better equipped for the 21st Century workplace. Beneficiaries include low socio-economic background communities and overall the country in areas of crime reduction and economic growth. This will be deployed initially through RSC Tech Clubs within the secondary (high) school system and scaled with partnerships within the public/private sector. 

Track registration of clubs - Improve the capacity of schools and the community to be able to deliver tech based programs by developing an additional hundred RSC Tech Clubs

Graduation of participants - Improve the skills of at least twenty participants per club and its adopted beneficiaries.

The formation of Tech Clubs is quite common. The implementation of a structured system across various countries with active partnerships from both public and private sector is uncommon. This is then coupled with the use of technology to now manage and incorporate a communication system that allows masses of participants to contribute time and resources and masses of participants to benefit at their pace and requirements. With no limits to ideas and possibilities the system is self-scaling as the club feeds off each other's progress.

This model incorporates the concept of compulsory adoption of beneficiaries including undeserved communities. The use of the RSC Tech Clubs and its communication systems allow a digital conduit for these communities to benefit from skills capacity building, 21st century workplace opportunities and access to partnerships.

Tech Clubs will be formed with public/private partnerships including the Caribbean Association of Principals. This will allow a cross section of clubs to be formed across different regions and varying conditions. Each club will be adopting beneficiaries from various groups and this will act as an entry point for the targeted communities. Further partnerships with humanitarian organisations would allow greater penetration into the system.

The pilot phase the project has been successfully completed and as such, is attracting funding from organisations and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. The tech clubs in Trinidad has secured 50,000 USD grant from the Global Environment Facility (UN-GEF) program and 40,000 USD from CSR programs. In addition, the model design allows clubs to operate at the basic level with minimal funding.

1. Inter country regulations.
2. Internet Connectivity in remote areas.
3. Social issues within the targeted areas.
4. Lack of awareness of the RSC Tech Club projects.

https://www.facebook.com/RestoreASenseOfICan/

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,199241.html

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUk7tMMS1umtvckY0hE1slQ

Our model is based on building partnerships and communities so any access to support from other communities with capacity can significantly add value to our growth. We seek assistance to scale the level of technology and communication being used as well access to expertise in dealing with socio economic challenged groups. Of benefit to us will also be mentors for the leadership across the various clubs and exposure to systems, cultures and best practices beyond the Caribbean. 

• Caribbean Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (CAPSS)
• The Caribbean Network of Service Coalitions
• Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Service Industries (TTCSI) 
• Trinidad & Tobago Manufacturing Association (TTMA)
• The Inter Agency Task Force of Trinidad and Tobago (IATF)
• Ministry of Education Trinidad and Tobago

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