The focus of ISSP is to introduce schools via the Internet and nurture curiosity and appreciation between students and teachers living in very different cultures. Students and teachers participating in ISSP Programs will gain cross-cultural awareness about the personal lives and learning conditions of their counterparts, while enhancing their academic curriculum.
“Power Africa” was an ambitious initiative by USAID to upgrade Africa’s power grid, meeting the significant infrastructure development needs throughout the continent in urban areas. Going one step further, Global Solar Partnerships will support the Power Africa vision in rural schools, specifically addressing electricity development needs in rural communities, benefitting schools with a reliable source of off-grid and micro-grid electricity for a wide variety of uses including water pumping, cooking, and academic enrichment programs through internet connections. This program will also include Solar Dividends, addressing rural poverty with Unconditional Basic Income (UBI)* and support for student scholarships.
Global Solar Program
The ISSP 3-Year Plan focuses on Global Solar Partnerships starting with Pilot Demonstration combined with Solar Dividends, a multi-phase program focused on enhancing students’ knowledge of solar energy starting in East Africa – Kenya and Tanzania, with partnerships schools based in the US.
Schools in this program will be selected based on specific set of criteria and availability of a local NGO partner, having the capacity to provide financial oversight, IT tech support, and curricula development.
GSP pilot projects will include local NGO partnerships to oversee school projects and student needs, using the solar power for community infrastructure development. A final phase of this program includes shared curriculum development and youth entrepreneurship training in solar technology.
Participating teachers in GSP programs, will share and explore curricula modules with a menu of natural resource and environment topic options:
- Agriculture and Natural Resource Management
- Energy
- Water Management
- Wildlife Natural History and Climate Change.
As these education outreach programs develop, entrepreneurship and job skill training modules will also be included.
Solar Dividends are revenue streams created by selling electricity generated from solar panels and dedicated to providing basic incomes to individuals. Because the money does not come from taxes, it can be generated by solar farms operated by local schools, communities and organizations.