Sacramento Permaculture Guild

Open Learning Exchange (OLE) is committed to universal access to basic education by 2015.

Over one billion school-aged children in more than one hundred countries lack access to even the most essential learning opportunities. Enabling them to acquire at least a basic education is not charity - it is a universal right. Every child is entitled to an opportunity to develop an intellectually and economically strong life consistent with their abilities. This ultimately benefits all of us.

And it is now possible as never before. The global reach of the Internet, low-cost laptops and other information technologies, combined with a greater awareness of the importance of universal basic education, make it possible for this to be achieved by the UN Millennium Goal of 2015.

Basic education enables one to:

» Read local newspapers, magazines and books,
» Complete job applications,
» Write letters to friends and employers,
» Manipulate numbers and keep accurate financial records,
» Improve agricultural, food, nutritional, health and environmental practices,
» Promote cooperation and manage conflict effectively, and
» Participate meaningfully in one’s family, community and nation.

Implementation:

» OLE is developing a worldwide network of 100+ local grassroots organizations [OLE Centers] committed to providing universal basic education in their nation by 2015.
» OLE assists its Centers in organizing curricula, outreach, and financing, as well as connecting independent educational communities within their country and with international communities.

The OLE Tool Kit provides:

» Software tools for creating, adapting and evaluating appropriate curricula for local conditions;
» A customizable digital library for basic educational curricula, including transparent user comment and rating tools;
» An IT catalogue of appropriate hardware, technologies and networking alternatives;
» Communication, media and public awareness tools;
» Fundraising and management tools; and
» A global portal for collaboration and social networking.

» OLE promotes public-private partnerships to raise awareness and secure adequate funding for our mission.