Local inventors and educators in Lafayette are getting funding to build Tech-for-Good projects in Lafayette.
The grants from Mozilla, the non-profit behind Firefox, range from $10,000 to $30,000.
"To have a project like this that is so innovative and progressive that allows students the opportunity to kind of dive in and learn some of those really important skills, it’s an amazing opportunity and teachers are very excited," said Dr. Shauna LeBlanc, Academic Science Specialist.
What all these projects have in common: they tap into high-speed fiber networks to improve local education and workforce opportunities.
The Projects
- Lafayette Gigabot Coding Initiative | Lafayette, LA This project trains elementary and middle school teachers in connected robotics and cloud-based programming. Teachers then integrate these topics into their curriculum. Led by Lafayette Parish Public Schools
- Virtual Reality Ecoliteracy Curriculum | Lafayette, LA This project uses virtual reality to show students the real-world impacts of climate change and coastal erosion. It spotlights the plight of "climate refugees" – a displaced Native American tribe in coastal Louisiana. Led by University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- A Community In Motion | Lafayette, LA This project trains high school students in livestream, broadcast and 4K technology, positioning them as community journalists and storytellers. Led by Youth Literacy Foundation of Acadiana
- New Hope STEM Club Gigabot Project | Lafayette, LA For this project, middle school students will receive cloud-based programming lessons from members of the Black Male Leadership project at University of Louisiana. Led by New Hope Community Development of Acadiana
