One Laptop Per Child unveils summer grant program

One Laptop Per Child, the Cambridge nonprofit organization that has sometimes struggled with its mission to bring $100 laptops to the world's poor children, said it is launching a summer grant program in which up to 100 teams of university students from around the world will distribute thousands of XO laptops to children in Africa.

"Partnering with schools and nongovernmental organizations in Africa, undergraduate and graduate students from around the world will assist in providing educational opportunities to children in the world's poorest countries," One Laptop Per Child said in a press release. "One Laptop Per Child will provide each student team with 100 XO laptops, related hardware, and up to $10,000 for operating costs. The teams will attend an orientation workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 8-17. Afterwards, they will spend nine weeks in an African nation, working directly with local community partners to integrate the XO laptop into primary education."

One Laptop Per Child was founded by Nicholas Negroponte, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.

In January, the foundation disclosed that it was down-sizing its staff. (To read that story, please click here.) Last month, the foundation promised a cheaper laptop. (To read that story, please click here.)

To read today's press release about One Laptop per Child's intern program, please click here.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)