Openworld Horizons eAcademy Site

Introduction

Welcome to the Openworld Horizons "eAcademy" site. You'll find here ways to assist innovative grassroots educational activities in Sri Lanka and (soon) other entrepreneurial learning initiatives around the globe.

Openworld, Inc., a U.S.-based nonprofit transnational group, has created this site in partnership with the Horizon Lanka Foundation. The Foundation is a self-help organization responsible for the HorizonLanka Academy (HLA), a bootstrap project that is gaining international recognition for innovations that assist low-income students in rural areas of Sri Lanka in accessing computer training and language skills valued in the world market. Students of HLA are now benefiting from microscholarships, creating "eLessons" to share with other students in the country and around the world, and gaining access to offshore jobs and opening career paths that were previously inaccessible.

In this Openworld Horizons eAcademy workspace, donors and volunteers around the world are invited to explore and assist Horizon Lanka's entrepreneurial activities. You can browse information on course offerings, enrollments, microscholarship activities, and reports on sources and uses of funds. We hope that you will be moved to offer services or resources that can help Horizon Lanka -- and similar learning ventures inspired by its example, including an Openworld initiative to use cell phones for microvoucher-related payments in the Philippines -- move towards sustainability.

Recognizing the value of accountability and professionalism to the success of grassroots learning projects, the Openworld Horizons eAcademy workspace also offers new online management tools and "dashboards" for both donors and organizers of grassroots learning initiatives to monitor key performance indicators and communicate with all stakeholders. These features are intended to help entrepreneurially run learning ventures on the Horizon model achieve new levels of growth and make further progress toward sustainability.

We welcome your response!

-Shannon Ewing and Nirosh Ranathunga,
Coordinators
Openworld Horizons eAcademy Initiative

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New Resources for Grassroots Learning

Check out these new strategies for advancing and expanding grassroots schools

Featured Initiative: The Horizon Lanka Academy (Sri Lanka)

Welcome to the information resource center for the Horizon Lanka Academy team. In the links below, you'll find information on how our private, nonprofit Academy is providing new educational opportunities for hundreds of Sri Lankan students who participate after normal public school hours and during weekends and holidays. We teach them a range of subjects including languages, math, science and information technology, while providing them with the additional opportunity for personal development and for acquiring skills in communication, leadership and caring and sharing.

The parents of the children are small-time cultivators and farmers, who have been relying on traditional farming practices for generations for their livelihood. They are directly involved in the management of Horizon Lanka, and work closely with the teachers and the administrative staff. The Horizon Lanka is also fortunate to have the active support of many Sri Lankas throughout the country and overseas, and from foundations and corporate supporters around the world who are interested in our replicable ways of spreading valued skills.

We are offering this information resource center for Horizon supporters to see how much has been accomplished with modest funding and a lot of hard work. After reviewing our progress, we will welcome receiving any contributions of equipment, funds, or volunteer time for the priority needs indicated here. In the near future, we hope also to offer US-based donors a tax-deductible path for making contributions with the assistance of Global Giving.

Horizon Lanka Foundation Mahavilachchiya (parent organization of HorizonLanka Academy)
Sri Lanka www.horizonlanka.org

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Key Performance Indicators
Financial Vital Signs

Microscholarships
About Microscholarships
Students Seeking Assistance

Other Ways to Help Horizon Lanka
Financial Assistance
Equipment Contributions
Volunteer Opportunities

Student Information
Student List
Student Summary Graph

Organizational Projects
Digital Butterflies
Digital Ambassadors
eVillage
Cell Phone Microvouchers

Global Giving Alliance