The Partimus Board recently approved a document titled “What would Partimus do with $100,000.00?” to flesh out our roadmap and put into words our plans for our first $100,000.
The following are highlights of that document.
Why we do what we do.
Partimus is group of pragmatic visionaries who have already done so much to make the world a better place. We have placed Linux computers in 6 schools already – helping kids who need it most. We have done all of this with very limited means. Of course we can do more. That is why we are articulating our roadmap to help create more opportunities:
Partimus aims to bring people together to believe in the power of community, and we use technology to do it. We, the global human family, can accomplish more by working together to bridge the digital divide with free software, rather than by going it alone in isolation. Our goal is to place Linux-powered computers in public schools that can’t otherwise afford computers for their students. In the past, our work has been done by volunteers. Generating an annual budget of $100,000.00 will empower us do far more to help public schools.
Partimus brings digital Stone Soup to public schools
Partimus’ work is limited to public schools that don’t have the funds to provide adequate computer labs. For example, the Creative Arts Charter School, a public school, had some computers donated, but they didn’t have anyone to install the software on them and keep them running. On July 8, 2009, a parent of a student at the Creative Arts Charter School (CACS) contacted one of our volunteers, Christian Einfeldt, to say that their computers were not being used to full capacity.
At that time, the CACS computers were installed with Linux and all the great apps that come with it, but there was no one to support the teachers in using the computers. This school was a great fit for Partimus, because we supply both the machines and the technical know-how to make the machines work. Partimus is now coming to the end of the second year at the Creative Arts Charter School, where kids use the machines for essay writing, on-line research, and even complex tasks such as creating stop-motion animated stories. Similar uses are made of our computers at the KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy; the Mission Beacon Center at the Everett Middle School; the International Studies Academy; the Precita Beacon Center; and the Ascend School in Oakland, California.
We are very proud that we use of Free Open Source Software, because we can boast that we are using our donors’ precious dollars very wisely and frugally. Free Open Source Software is usually available at no cost, and its licensing allows our highly skilled systems administrators and software architects to shape the software to our teachers’ needs.
It’s time for Partimus to grow!
Partimus has a proven track record. We know how to get good, working computers, install great software on them, and we know how to support teachers to do their work in the classroom. But after 7 years of volunteer’s effort alone, Partimus has reached a point where its growth is plateauing, due to the demands and rigors of supporting all of these machines. Our volunteers are great, and they will always be the core of what we do, but we need to pay our core volunteers to expand and sustain the work that we have been doing. Relying only on volunteers is not sustainable in the long run, and will limit our growth and reach and scale.
How we would use $100,000.00 – an overview.
Our first priority is to hire contract staffers who would work in eight key areas:
- Computer system installations;
- Computer systems maintenance;
- End user support;
- Professional development and education;
- Public outreach and volunteer coordination;
- Fundraising and grant writing;
- Business development;
- Sharpening the saw (business administration).
Partimus volunteers have already been handling these key areas. We are not writing on a blank slate. Our first $100,000.00 would go to provide some of these key volunteers with paid contracts to continue their crucial mission-critical work.
Join the Partimus Stone Soup Party!
If you like what you have read here, and would like to experience the joy of supporting students to learn crucial digital skills, please consider becoming a regular part of the Partimus community. Please contact Christian Einfeldt at einfeldt@gmail.com to find out how you could donate your time or funds to help make the Partimus dream become a reality!
If you’re interested in the full 7 page document that dives in with details on our plans and roles it can be downloaded as pdf here: Partimus_What_would_we_do_w_100k_7.1.11.pdf
