RSC Tech Clubs

The current pandemic compounded pre-existing inequalities and divides in education systems regionally and globally:

• Students - lack of social interactions, devices, connectivity or special needs. 
• Teachers - learning capacity or access to resources. 
• Administrative systems - communication and data driven decisions.
• Silos (government, private sector or CSOs) – limited money, time, results and capacity for duplication. 
• Examination bodies and governments - slow reaction time for necessary changes. 
• 18 independent Caribbean countries – challenges to function under one umbrella examination body.

RSC proposes a Technology Club model to facilitate multilayer participation that will support the existing systems, allowing a parallel pathway for training.
The model will provide equitable classroom access, support and tools to all stakeholders outlined above thereby affecting the lives of thousands of people across the Caribbean community and beyond.

A number of areas within the challenge are being addressed including:

• Engagement of learners – issues with devices, connectivity, engaging content and absence of proper monitoring and evaluating has affected this. In Trinidad and Tobago attendance varies from 8% to 95% in some schools since March 2020. This significantly highlights the divide that exists. Similar patterns exist across the region.
• Support of Teachers – teachers were thrown into a virtual education environment without training leading to non-standardized methods and platforms, lack of pedagogy skills, absence of curriculum specific digital content. Lack of proper systems did not allow peer to peer support at a professional level.

Methods used were really trying to duplicate a brick and mortar environment into a virtual environment not really using the advantages that the virtual environment allows.

The creation of content, digital engagement of students and educators, via the Technology Club model are the factors that address and our solution to the problem.

The solution is the development of a digital collaboration system that allows participation from various stakeholders. A community of students, teachers, parents, community participants and educators is built as a result of the Technology club model. These clubs act as a conduit that engages other stakeholders (individuals, public and private) to support this ecosystem by allowing them access to this community. The model has hosted many activities like these over the past 5 years including Tech camps, Hackathons, eSports and academic support.

A peer to peer support system allows students to have an opportunity to donate volunteer hours to assist those in need.
Digital content can be further developed in a proposed 3D Virtual digital content platform that can work offline or hybrid. 
Capacity built in participants used to assist with ancillary needs. For example, tech needs. In 2020, a computer refurbishment system was scaled. Club members refurbished over one thousand (1000) computer systems and donated to students in need.
Teachers have access to relevant training. In 2020, over four thousand (4,000) teachers were trained in the system on virtual engagement.
Educators engage via the weekly Webinar Series. The Thoughtful Thursdays series now has over 30 episodes.

The first tier of beneficiaries is students who are disadvantaged due to circumstance be it economic or social. They get an opportunity to participate in this system (limited or in full participation as their situation dictates). In addition, instead of being exposed to singular events by various organizations attempting to assist, they get meaningful sustainable support based on their needs.

As a result of the RSC tech club presence within their community, this allows for dynamic interaction and development of programs that are based on community’s needs as opposed to a one size fit all solution.
These same participants, as a result of peer to peer interactions move from beneficiaries to benefactors as their clubs grow, further supporting their emotional and social growth.
The second tier is students who are not necessarily in social or economic needs but are victims of an outdated education system. These students have access to resources, hence they also get a chance to grow and participate. In addition, they also give back to the system, maintaining sustainability and more importantly providing an environment where they can mentor other students to grow and develop emotionally. They experience being treated as equals.
Other indirect beneficiates are educators and administrators that use the training and digital systems.
The Clubs exist within the communities of the participants enabling data availability to determine needs at various levels. Also, as the members are active participants and decision makers of the clubs, they also drive the direction of the engagements enabling a dynamic system for different needs.
The system addresses their needs by placing them in an enabling environment to help them help themselves with support.

The solution actually addresses the challenges of engagement of learners by directly targeting them in their current environments (their community and schools) and providing them collaboration opportunities with their peers and other stakeholders. Whilst the clubs has significant physical engagement, the virtual activities allows for remote and hybrid engagements. It also addresses the challenge of quality learning experiences by providing opportunities to engage in various training modalities, events and activities. The system also gives support to teachers allowing peer support and capacity building.

The concept started in 2013 and evolved into this model over the years. Initially one country (Trinidad and Tobago) where over seventy schools participated in activities and at least ten community groups. Through the years had activities in at least ten countries, at different levels of the model, engaging over forty thousand participants.

There is a lot of scope for improvement of the technologies being used and standardization of parts of the model for easy duplication before we can be in Scale.

What makes this approach innovative is the collaboration of all the stakeholders involved. (Across varied countries, styles and cultures).  While this is not unique, it works because it is not imposed by the policy bodies (Ministry of Education/ Administrative Management) trying to make change nor push back from the intended beneficiaries of policy (School management and stakeholders) trying to request change. A huge factor is that the  system is designed such that most relationships are symbiotic creating win win situations.

This approach comes from initiatives inside the education system (intended beneficiaries) with support from decision makers within the system. This approach simplifies permission, demonstrated many times over by RSC's interactions with stakeholders regionally, to execute activities with the cooperation of the various Ministries of Government. It also enhances execution as key decision makers, principals, teachers and other parties are part of the process from planning.
RSC’s focus on Education and Technology are two underlying pillars of change that attracts a broad spectrum of stakeholders. The above model will both change the way education is delivered (access for young learners) and enable greater impact because of the physical presence and virtual interaction. This will develop into meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships.
A collaborative multi-level intervention embracing technology has produced significant results thus far.

Full Time Staff : 5

Part Time Staff : 20

Volunteers : Over 100

RSC founders, a husband and wife, have both spent their lives in the education environment as teachers and administrators.

Coupled with his background in technology as an Engineer and head of ICT at a tertiary institution, assisting students in Education and Technology was a natural step.

Others team members have experience in Education, Technology or Social work and are emotionally vested in effecting change.

The Club model allows for a lot of flexibility and internal decision making within the clubs. This assists with diversity, equity and inclusion across the clubs as their culture and value systems varies.

At this stage RSC believes that it has established proof of concept with the results so far. To move beyond and solidify the model requires us to seek assistance from organizations that understands the philosophy of change we are attempting and also has the capacity to support.

We believe the Solve model has that and can offer the technology support to our system which is more an evolved model as opposed to a plan model. Beyond that, the level of exposure possible from Solve can allow scale beyond the Caribbean.

A situation in the Caribbean is an influx of Refugees from Venezuela. Our model is currently working on a plan to have clubs for them including in Spanish and so allow for inclusion in the education system.

These might have to be community clubs as a lot of the students are not being accepted in the public school system. Support here will make this plan a reality.

STEM training is an integral part of our club model. Our community of students provide an ideal environment for STEM training even with limited equipment and resources as a result of the shared model.

For example, in Trinidad and Tobago we have 10 Robotic kits and have been able to facilitate over 1000 students with these kits in two years. There is a rotation system amongst the clubs for the usage of the kits and a train the trainer program with the participants for scaling and sustainability.

Movement of equipment across countries is a challenge. We can significantly scale STEM training with this support by having more in country resources.

RSC Clubs model has a lot of programs for girls. In 2021 we ran the largest Girls in ICT event in the Caribbean ( Over 18,000 participants)

We also ran a Caribbean Girls Hackathon with over 70 teams participating.

A significant number of our participants are girls, we can advance the programs being offered to them and increase the opportunities being offered to them