Hope this newsletter finds you well. The Hope IT team wants to give you an update on our situation and upcoming plans.
As you know, COVID and the Delta variant are still here. We (try to) progress to normalcy, while taking precaution against the Delta variant.
Such is the case at Hope IT. To keep students safe, we decided to hold another on-line course. For October, we will hold our most successful course, creating web sites with WordPress.
Our other problem is underserved kids and their families are struggling. We try to find kids to attend our courses. It is hard to create courses that are on-line, using the platforms and skills available to the students. It’s hard for kids to attend on-line courses. Hope IT is starting to recruit kids for our course.
It is not fun to struggle. It brings questions. One wonders if we are on the right path.
In the midst of these struggles, we find some areas of opportunity and partnership. We are thankful to God for these.
First, we found a partner in Barnabas Robotics. Ed Li is their co-founder, and has been teaching kids to build various robots for 7 years, from 5 years old to high school. Hope IT recently visited his educational center in Pasadena. We were thrilled, and encouraged. Ed has a heart for teaching. He runs his course for kids to be engaged, to add creative ideas, and include art and their individual perspectives in their work.
For example, two robots were built by 2 siblings, a 5 and 8 years old. These robots controlled traffic light switch boards, reacting to toy cars coming near the stop. The kids added their own traffic signs, which they identified with on their own family travels. Another robot was able to make fencing moves, made by a highschooler. The number of robots at the center was quite impressive. Unfortunately we cannot meet in-person to build robots while Covid is a threat. But we are beginning to prepare for a robotics course.
Another opportunity to run a course for 15 high schoolers in Liberia, Africa. Our partner is Boye-Nelson Kiamu, who is CEO of Liberia Renewal Ministries; he is also a PhD student at Fuller Seminary. We are working on having Hope IT students teaching other students, including preparing resources to train the students who will teach. The Hope IT vision is to reach underserved kids in the Pasadena area, we want to build up their skills, including teaching and leadership skills. One of our Hope IT kids — an impressive high school senior — will teach basic skills like creating a document with a word processor, spreadsheet, Internet searches, and creating an email account.
These 15 Liberian students have not touched a computer before. The idea is to have them share 3 laptops; 5 students to each laptop. (And if you like to donate a spare laptop, definitely contact us!) There are many risks: For one, the Delta variant is also spreading in Liberia. Having 15 students so close together may be unsafe even with masks. Additionally, internet and electricity in Liberia are intermittent, even in the capital of Monrovia.
We plan to start this course in Liberia in September, so preparation time is limited. Can our one Hope IT student lead all 4 Saturdays? Will conditions in Liberia permit this to be done? Stay tuned…
Please pray for students in Liberia, and in the Pasadena area as well, as school is starting again. Pray for us all to see the goodness of the Lord, and again remember that the Lord is good, all the time.
Blessings,
–Mike Veerman
Hope IT team lead