As part of a $20 million learning investment, HP Inc. has announced the new HP School Cloud, featuring the HP Open Learning Platform, during Global Citizen Week. HP School Cloud will provide access to educational materials and apps to students, teachers and adult learners in rural and poor communities around the world.
HP School Cloud is a hybrid cloud appliance, acting as both an advanced wireless router and state-of-the-art file and content server. Each device will leverage a range of free, open-source educational materials from OpenStax, with more Open Education Resource partners to be announced later this fall. By simply installing HP School Cloud, schools without Internet access can provide students with access to millions of e-textbooks and thousands of lessons on reading, science, mathematics and more. The announcement marks a significant step forward in advancing HP’s goal of improving learning outcomes for 100 million people by 2025.
“This partnership unlocks enormous potential for students all over the world,” said Daniel Williamson, Managing Director for OpenStax. “By pairing OpenStax textbooks already in use by 1.5 million students with HP School Cloud featuring the HP Open Learning Platform, we’re providing equitable access to high-quality education content for millions more, including the world’s most marginalized.”
The technology will also allow teachers to monitor and measure individual progress of students in a safe, secure environment. All resources will be aligned with international curricular and instructional standards from UNESCO, OECD, among others, and will be available in select markets in early 2018.
“HP has a long commitment to improving education. Last year alone we improved the learning for over four million students. The HP School Cloud helps us impact even more students,” said Ron Coughlin, President of Personal Systems Business at HP. “By providing access to a wide and relevant range of educational content and resources, HP School Cloud ensures today’s aspiring students develop the skills for the jobs of tomorrow, even those without reliable internet access.”
Through the technology, HP Inc. aims to reach one million learners by 2020 and is partnering with Intel and Education Cannot Wait to seed over 1,700 HP School Clouds to schools all over the developing world. HP Inc. will pilot the program in The Kilgoris Project schools in Kenya and at schools in Malawi this fall.
In addition to launching HP School Cloud, HP Inc. and Microsoft announced the launch of AppFactory, a program to improve the state of software development and bring quality learning, IT skills development and entrepreneurship training to the people living in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi.
In collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), InZone, and CARE, HP also opened two new HP Learning Studios in Jordan in September at the Azrq Refugee Camp and in Amman. Another studio is scheduled to open soon in the community of Azraq. The studios are equipped with hardware, software and teacher training services.
The announcement builds on a commitment made last year during United Nations General Assembly Week to establish six new HP Learning Studios in Jordan and Lebanon in partnership with Digital Promise Global, Global Business Coalition for Education, Microsoft and Intel. HP is currently working with the UNHCR to select locations and partners for the three HP Learning Studio locations in Lebanon.
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Published Sep 19, 2017 6pm EDT / 3pm PDT / 11pm BST / 12am CEST