FAQ

olpc BaseCamp Malacca 2013 FAQ

Q. What is olpc BaseCamp?
It is a physical gathering of people who care about education and the application of technologies to improve learning in children growing up in disadvantaged communities. We believe every participant who comes can be an active contributor to the mission of finding better solutions for education. Your personal (or group) aha! experience can reach a tipping point when there are dialogues , perspective sharing and opportunities to work with like-minded people. This first community driven BaseCamp will be held in the historical old town of Malacca.


Q. Why the name "BaseCamp"?
If we are scaling Mt Everest or any summit you will appreciate the value of basecamps. Climbers can rest, plan and prepare for their journey ahead. We chose the name "BaseCamp" to reflect the importance of support and learning before starting any educational projects to serve disadvantaged communities.


Q. Why choose a historical location and not a major urban Asian city?
Malacca is a world heritage city with good accessibility, affordable accommodation and cultural diversity. It is conveniently located for people from neighbouring South East Asian countries. In old Malacca town where the BaseCamp will be held, everything is within walking distance. Heritage gems stand side by side with historical buildings housing all things needed in life at very affordable costs. This makes Malacca an attractive destination for international participants.


Q. What is the slogan theme for BaseCamp?
We have chosen the slogan "Learning Learning by Doing" to reflect the active nature of learning which is essential for modern education practices. Participants can expect active participation and hands-on sessions to explore their learning themselves with OLPC technologies or other innovative learning devices.


Q. Who are the participants of BaseCamp?
BaseCamp is scheduled for November 16-18, 2013. No public formal announcements have been made to date. Nevertheless, we have people and groups expressing interest. Volunteers from the One Laptop Per Child Asia Pacific (OLPC APAC) are committed and they will be block booking a Guesthouse for the event. Contacts have been made with worldwide OLPC volunteers involved in deployment projects in Peru, Haiti, Sri-Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Solomon Island, Australia and US. We would like to see a good mix of both non-technical and technical participants. When we can confirm some key programmes (e.g. workshop on running a new educational deployment; programming for children) that will of interest to the public or sponsors we will market it.

If you are interested in education and the transformative power of technology for learning then olpc BaseCamp 2013 is for you!


Q. Are there any registration fees ?
No. We want to keep it simple with no handling fees. BaseCamp is a totally volunteer-driven event paid by individuals themselves. We do not want to burden participants as they have to pay for their own flights and lodging to attend. If we find sponsors we will use their support to help subsidise individual participants or to reduce any expenses incurred during the 3 days.


Q. Are sponsorships welcome?
We welcome any assistance in kind or financial sponsorship for BaseCamp 2013.


Q. Where can I get more information?
We will put a blog up soon. Contact me at : tkkang@nurturingasia.com and I will keep you in our mailing list or updates. In case you're wondering what OLPC means, visit www.laptop.org and www.olpc.asia to find out how things have started and evolved.