Team4Tech to Provide Pro Bono Technology Support in South Africa
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (PRWEB) February 19, 2018 -- Today, Team4Tech, a non-profit that works to advance the quality of education for underserved students through technology volunteers and solutions, announced that ten employees from Pure Storage, the market’s leading independent all-flash data platform vendor, will take part in an immersive, two-week service learning project in South Africa from February 19 – March 2, 2018. While in South Africa, Pure Storage employees will contribute skilled pro bono technology support to LEAP Science & Maths Schools, an innovative non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality education to underserved youth living in townships across South Africa through six LEAP school campuses.
The team from Pure Storage will volunteer at LEAP 5 School, located in the Jane Furse Township in Limpopo, South Africa. While there, the employees will help the LEAP 5 teachers strengthen their digital literacy skills, learn how to use Microsoft productivity applications and Google Classroom as a Learning Management Platform, work in Google Applications to enhance collaboration, and explore different subject-specific software to help enhance teaching and learning.
This is Pure Storage’s third international service learning project with Team4Tech and its second collaboration with LEAP Schools. In March 2016, during their first pro bono technology project with LEAP Schools, Pure Storage employee volunteers installed an IT network and trained the teachers to use the technology in the classroom to enhance the learning experience for the students.
"We're excited to be working with Team4Tech again this year to send a diverse group of Pure Storage employees to continue to support LEAP Schools with their technology strategy and teacher training,” said Nicole Johnson, executive director of the Pure Good Foundation, which works to deepen employee engagement in communities around the world. “Team4Tech’s skilled volunteering program for technology companies is a great way to increase employee engagement while also uplifting young people through education-based initiatives.”
Team4Tech’s corporate volunteering program works with technology companies to support established non-profit organizations to improve education for underserved students. Team4Tech partners with these organizations for three to five years to help them integrate relevant technology solutions into their programs to advance student learning outcomes and build 21st century skills. This will be Team4Tech’s sixth project in support of LEAP over the past four years, in an effort to help LEAP teachers improve student learning outcomes and engagement through the effective integration of technology. LEAP Schools’ vision is to provide technology and training for all their schools so that each LEAP teacher will have a laptop, all learners will have access to desktops and/or tablets, and classrooms will be models of 21st century teaching and learning methods.
“Capacity building pro bono technology projects like this one with Pure Storage and LEAP Schools are one way we can help to bridge the massive education inequality that still exists in South Africa, particularly in township schools,” said Julie Clugage, co-founder and executive director, Team4Tech. “And, Pure Storage technology volunteers will also benefit from the experience by developing crucial leadership skills including how to design technology for the needs of the customer, building empathy and understanding, and collaborating effectively as a team in an unfamiliar environment.”
About Team4Tech
Team4Tech provides technology professionals with immersive, short-term service learning projects that leverage their technology skills to improve education for underserved students, while also cultivating volunteers’ leadership skills and supporting corporate social responsibility goals. Team4Tech programs provide benefits to three distinct audiences: students and teachers gain access to improved teaching and learning through technology, volunteers gain 21st century leadership skills, and companies gain more engaged employees to lead customer-driven innovation. http://www.team4tech.org
Julie Clugage, Team4Tech, http://www.team4tech.org, +1 (415) 640-4300, [email protected]
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