More than one hundred Belizean students will spend the next week training in computer assembly and repair with guidance from world classes instructors. Duke University Professor Dr. Arlie Petters is back in Belize and this summer he has brought two top notch and hi-tech computer experts from Duke. We found more.
Keith Swift Reporting,
These are the parts of computer: you have the motherboard, the CD drive, memory card, and video cards. As unitary parts - they are basically useless. But by the end of the week - these will be put together in fully functioning computers - assembled by these teenagers.
Andrew Schretter, System Programmer - Duke University
"We hope to introduce them to computers, if they haven't had much exposure to them before, and also to show them what all the parts of the computer do and how they could assemble or repair computers on their own and basically maintain computers at home or start to work in the business of doing that."
The students will receive hands on training from Andrew Schretter and his wife Paola Zamora. Andrew is an assistant system programmer at Duke University.
Andrew Schretter,
"By giving them insight into how a computer works and how you can repair a computer and what powers them to move forward and look at other areas in computer technology where they can hopefully find jobs and expand the economy."
Keith Swift,
Will this be an intense course?
Paola Zamora,
"It will be intensive. There is a lot of information to see, a lot of new techniques that that they may not have experience with in actually assembling computers. But I think it will be good for the kids."
Andrew Schretter,
"Its only about 12 to 15 hours of classroom time and the volume of material we are covering in terms of the computers that were donated that we are using for testing the assembly and some of the more generic computers they are going to be looking at is a lot of information."
15-year-old Rajeev Pollard and 13-year-old Phaedra Mohammed -Ali are two of the 102 teenagers who signed up. Rajeev is a third form student at Saint John's College while Phaedra is in standard six.
Phaedra Mohammed -Ali, Student
"To me it looks like a challenge and I love challenges so I thought it would let me improve my mental skills and problem solving skills."
Keith Swift,
What exactly do you want to learn?
Phaedra Mohammed -Ali,
"How to fix the computers. It looks nice to put in different disks and memory chips and the works."
Rajeev Pollard, Student
"Basically how to put together a computer because it is well needed in Belize. You don't see a lot of people knowledgeable about computers and thing in Belize so it will be something different."
The program is being coordinated by the Petters' Research Institute and the Belize Defense Force. Dr. Arlie Petters and the BDF's General Lloyd Gillett launched the program this morning. For Petters' this one week course is merely a start.
Dr. Arlie Petters, PRI
"Children are the disseminators of technology and I think they are going to be the ones that will drive our future. I am imagining a Belize where we will have our own computer assembly plant. We are going to be processing the software for all the industries of our country. They are the ones that are going to do that for us."
Gen. Lloyd Gillett, BDF
"This is a first step to preparing them for the future work force. The future workplace is going to be innovation driven and a lot of the innovation is by computers these days. And so if they can understand how a computer works, from the inside, then they will be better able to use it when their time to enter the workplace comes."
The assembled computers will be donated to needy schools.
20 computers should be assembled by Friday. Some will go to the Muslim School and the remainder to a school in Arenal Village. On Wednesday the Petters Institute and the BDF will start their second annual intensive math training for BDF cadets interested in applying to U.S. military academies.
