SolarSPELL Latin America

What if we could build internet-ready skills among the half-of-the-world’s population that remains offline? Left unaddressed, inequalities between the always-connected and the never-connected only accelerate. Yet, merely providing internet access is—and always will be—insufficient. SolarSPELL is directly addressing this challenge in low-resource locations globally. SolarSPELL’s offline, portable, solar-powered, open-access digital libraries are localized in order to ensure relevance. Yet, equally important is our emphasis on partnering, train-the-trainer training, and skill-building. SolarSPELL has proved its concept in 8 countries in East Africa and the Pacific Islands. We would like to expand the initiative to Latin America and the Caribbean, and believe that millions could benefit from the improvement of educational opportunities in a manner that works with their existing infrastructure. By leveraging innovative technology, providing locally-relevant educational libraries, and building critical digital and information literacies, SolarSPELL is empowering communities to address the complex challenges of tomorrow.  

Rural and remote schools around the world tend to lack access to affordable, reliable internet access. Yet, merely connecting these schools to the internet is not the answer, because lack of access is not the central problem. Skills to navigate, identify, evaluate, effectively use, and create information are what’s truly missing. 

Information literacy and digital proficiency must accompany connectivity, or else inequalities—digital and otherwise—continue to worsen. In an era of fake news, cyber-crime, and online bullying, building information literacy skills is crucial for people to make effective, meaningful, empowering use of the internet. Because the risks are highest for the least experienced--children--it is absolutely essential to be building internet-ready skills within schools. Unfortunately, schools within developing countries most often lack internet connectivity, and because of this, teachers within these schools are unlikely to have the resources or the experience to teach internet-ready skills to their students.  The stakes are high: inequalities continue to worsen around the world. An innovative solution is needed that leverages technology in order to meet the needs of the unconnected given their infrastructural realities, yet does not overlook the skills-development necessary for them to make meaningful use of the internet once it reaches them.

SolarSPELL (Solar Powered Educational Learning Library) is an ultra-portable, solar-powered, digital library that generates an offline WiFi hotspot to which any WiFi-capable device can connect and freely surf the library's expansive, localized content. We believe that our technology is innovative and allows us to reach locations that solutions requiring electricity cannot, and yet, it is our emphasis on partnering, skills-building, and impact evaluation that truly sets us apart. SolarSPELL empowers communities by providing a locally-relevant, education-focused, offline digital library without the need for costly, long-term infrastructure improvements — and matches that technology with locally-based trainers who can support the necessary development of internet-ready skills. SolarSPELL is an initiative with several layers. SolarSPELL comprises technology (hardware, software, a solar-powered digital library) as well as a unique approach (partnerships, train-the-trainer training, and impact evaluation). Our hardware is an ultra-portable, rugged, solar-powered device able to withstand harsh weather conditions of extreme humidity, heat, dust, etc. It comprises a solar panel, waterproof plastic case, voltage regulator, battery, Raspberry Pi microcomputer (functioning as a server), and a micro SD card upon which the entire library resides.

We work in partnership with local and regional organizations to reach teachers, schoolchildren, and community members in offline, remote, rural locations. From previous experience we know that local buy-in, leading to long-term sustainability, is best fostered when locals themselves are the champions and skills-builders. Thus, SolarSPELL employs a train-the-trainer model and develops cohorts of local trainers who bring the SolarSPELLs back to their communities and build information-literacy and digital competencies. They also create a network of support in the implementation and improvement of the library in their region. In the majority of SolarSPELL’s work up to now, we have trained both US Peace Corps volunteers and their local counterpart teachers. Since Peace Corps volunteers live in remote, rural communities for up to two years, and because behavior change associated with developing new skills takes time, this approach allows for longer-term support of the libraries, as the transition to local ownership takes place. By working with local teachers we are also able to understand which resources they and their students find most useful and where there is room for improvement. Our impact evaluation is the opposite of an afterthought: teachers’ feedback directly improves all aspects of future SolarSPELL libraries

We have launched 365 SolarSPELL libraries in 8 countries over five years. Our impact evaluation reveals that most teachers trained on SolarSPELL felt more confident in their teaching capabilities, and over 90% reported that SolarSPELL has increased all users’ internet-ready skills. As one SolarSPELL user explained: My students don’t have to just believe whatever somebody tells them. They can actually go find out for themselves.”By design, SolarSPELL has gone to-the-field first, to among the most remote, hardest-to-reach locations, to prove both the concept and the technology — positioning us for successful expansion. 

While other offline digital education projects exist, SolarSPELL is unique. Our approach is informed by ongoing field-visits to understand our users and their unique challenges and opportunities. Our technology is highly innovative. Because SolarSPELL is solar-powered, portable, and rugged, we can serve those in locations that similar initiatives have failed to reach. Moreover, our technology is designed specifically for novice users: no passwords to remember, no tech support needed. Plug it in and it works, every time.Nevertheless, skill-building takes time. Similarly, libraries are never finished, but are living, growing organisms. Promoting skills-development and internet readiness is fundamental to our work. To realize the ongoing, in-person support needed, we build local partnerships and conduct train-the-trainer training. Working with Peace Corps means longer-term support through on-site volunteers teaching information literacy and digital competencies.Finally, we localize the library so that users can “see themselves”