CitigroupTogether with Citigroup, UNICEF has embarked on the Sister School Project, an educational initiative aimed at bridging the “digital divide” in Western China and familiarizing students, teachers, and school administrators with online research methods and collaborative communications using the Internet. The project links 50 schools in Eastern and Western China through a computer network and creates training activities that give participants computer skills and web-based research skills. It is designed in part to replace the “teacher-centred” lecture format common in most Chinese schools with a “student-centred” methodology. Research conducted by students and teachers will be shared among participating schools and used to develop more student-friendly policies. At the same time, Western schools can adopt best practices from the more developed Eastern schools in Shanghai and Guangzhou, bringing modern teaching methods using information and communication technology to Western China. Increased interaction among schools will enhance the quality of distance learning in China and integrate technology more firmly into school curricula. Citigroup will provide a generous grant of US $230,000 to support this project over the next three years.
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