the project

In 2004, a group of organizations came together. Fundo Cordoba and Baton Rouge Area Foundation (both organizations geared towards improving life in its namesake city) and Saint Joseph’s Academy came together to work on connecting the schools in the area to the dawning “information age”. Cordoba and Baton Rouge had been declared sister cities in the past, participating in sports exchanges and other activities. Saint Joseph’s had much experience with this; it had years of practice within its own project. A self sustaining, student maintained Helpdesk, a network infrastructure that could easily outmatch many colleges and access to cutting edge software and new technologies had produced many individuals with the know how and talent to assist in helping bring such infrastructure and knowledge to Cordoba. To find the actual equipment needed to begin setting up labs through the selected area, they turned to a corporate recycling force within Baton Rouge itself. Students from St. Joseph’s prepared the machines which were then shipped to Cordoba and set up during the summer trip.

The first trip was a success. The computers survived shipment. So two more were planned: one in the winter to plan and ensure delivery of needed materials and one in the summer to set up the physical machines and train those who were going to be using them in basic maintain skills and general all purpose use.

Each year since, two trips have been made, on in the winter to plan and one in the summer to do. All subsequent trips were successes… each with new lessons, links and labs. To a degree, the delegation sent each year became something of minor celebrities: featured in the paper nearly daily, invited to speak at graduation ceremonies, having an entire class of students named after them (the “John Richardson Generation”).

Last summer’s trip was as well. It however, was different. It was the first trip where current St. Joseph’s students were in the group. Before only a handful of teachers, staff and alums had been included. A new domain opened up, the chance for this project to be more than just bringing computers to those who need them but a chance for cultural immersion and exchange. The students were lodged by families associated with one of the school’s to be worked in.
This summer, I am here. I’ve worked on this project before since I am connected to St. Joseph’s as both a former student and employee of the Helpdesk, but never so directly. I cleaned, checked, imaged, moved and Frankensteined many computers for past excursions. I did runs from Capital Area Recycling to the school on many occasions, my trunk so full of desktops, monitors, laptop batteries and assorted peripheral components I could almost pop a wheelie. I’ve been working my way up to meeting the people I’ve been helping and finally got the chance to this summer in part because of Odyssey funding from the educational institution I am currently attending, Hendrix College.

As part of my work here, I will be keeping a nifty blog surrounding the events I take part in, my impressions of them and any thoughts they provoke regarding the differences in culture and attitude.

Informative Links:
St. Joseph’s Academy-> www.sjabr.org
Baton Rouge Area Foundation-> www.braf.org
Fondo Cordoba-> www.cemefi.org/spanish/content/view/595/75/
Capital Area Corporate Recycling-> http://www.cacrc.com/
Taylor Chustz’s service Blog-> http://humnaistblogger.blogspot.com/
El Mundo (local paper) -> www.elmundodecordoba.com
Hendrix College-> http://www.hendrix.edu/