The importance of education is well known; across sub-Saharan Africa the picture remains shockingly bleak. This workshop focuses on real-world solutions. We will create portable, robust digital libraries for schools and communities in locations without internet and/or electricity. Based on a Raspberry Pi computer and using other low cost, simple off-the-shelf parts we will make Learning Centers using a “Bridge Pi” device that provides local access to freely available curated content via a wifi hotspot that can serve dozens of people simultaneously. Participants will learn first-hand how to build this surprisingly easy, accessible, and low cost answer. Teams will build from two alternative designs to highlight the iterative design process. Devices made during this session will subsequently be brought to Zimbabwe reaching hundreds of students and teachers.
