They came bearing gifts

3 years ago, Chris Garcia took his first steps on Kenyan soil with a group of teachers and students from University of San Diego with a huge surprise for Daraja’s teachers and Form 1 class—iPods for every teacher and iPads for every freshman girl.

Next week, Chris is returning to Kenya for the next round of development with the now 3-year-old Kenya Mobile Technology project. “The type of professional development was limited to show teachers and students how to use the iPads and iPod touches in the most basic form without wifi,” said Chris in his appeal to friends, family and professional connections to help financially support his return to Daraja.

Until only recently, campus electricity only ran from 7p-10p from a cranky, 20 year old diesel generator. This meant no charging laptops, phones, cameras, and the USD donated iPods and iPads meant to encourage and critically engage Daraja students in their classroom learning. “Now, the campus has wifi,” said Chris, “and the iPads and iPods need to have their operating systems updated, along with installing apps to enhance the education for Daraja Academy students.”

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There’s an app for that: Introducing new applications to enhance classroom learning

Chris, a teacher at Chula Vista Elementary School District in Southern California, coordinated with fellow teachers and participants of the 2012 Mobile Technology Project by distributing an assessment soliciting advice. The assessment addressed how teachers based in the U.S. use technology to enhance classroom instruction, improve grading procedures, lesson planning, and acquiring materials to build a better digital platform for presenting high-quality photographs and images.

Chris used GoFundMe to raise enough funds to cover the return trip to Kenya. Engaging nearly 60 people, he raised an impressive $3,000 for the Project. “This was my first experience using GoFundMe, and it was a very simple set up through their website, and very easy to promote through social media and emailing the link to my contact list.”

Have you always wanted to visit Daraja? Do you have a project you’d like to see implemented on campus? Email Ashley at info@daraja.org to learn about our Guest Program, Internships, and easy tips and tricks for raising money to visit the school transforming leaders of today into world changers of tomorrow.