The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative, founded by the United Nations ICT Task Force and the Governments of Canada, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland, was established in recognition of the vital role that education plays in creating long-term, sustainable development and how information and communication technologies for education (ICT4E) is a catalyst for improved education, community empowerment and socio-economic growth.

The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative facilitates and supports ICT4E initiatives, working with the local Ministries of Education and ICT. It also provides assistance with the planning of ICT4E initiatives, providing knowledge and experience in the drafting of national plans of developing countries. In addition, it convenes global partners so that needs identified can be successfully matched by resources, whether by donors or other private-sector entities that can provide expertise, technical, physical and financial support. The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative has initially focused its work in Ghana, Namibia and Uganda.

The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative has succeeded in improving education as a cornerstone of sustainable socio-economic development. In Uganda for example, it has connected over 32 schools to the global information network, with more than 1,920 teachers and 30,000 students currently participating. It has also helped to create SchoolNet Uganda, the country’s first NGO dedicated to ICT-based education. The Internet-enabled schools in Uganda are used for community after-hours information technology training, which bolsters the overall understanding of the ways in which new technologies can empower all Ugandans.

• Project Document