“The mission of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child.”

Their goal is to get the cost of a durable, connectible, usable computer down to $100 and distribute them to children in developing countries. The plan isn’t without critics or controversy. As a professional educator, I have some criticism of the program too but I’ll reserve that for later because I think that this IS a step in the right direction. [One of my favorite quotes is "Only by attempting the absurd can we achieve the impossible" because I think it neatly describes the dream of an educated populace.] Besides that, the reason for this post is to highlight a special, limited-time opportunity for residents in the U.S. and Canada.

The current cost of the computer that OLPC is distributing [called the XO computer] is about $200. They are not for sale to the general public, but you can donate the money and have one of the computers sent to a child in a developing country. Between 12 November and 26 November though you can Give One and Get One — a donation of $399 will send one computer to a child in need and one will be sent to your child [or to the kid in you]. I really want to get my hands on one of these.

Even if you don’t want one of your own to play with, you might consider donating one [or more] of these as a holiday gift this year. After all, if you’re having trouble deciding what to give the loved one that seems to have everything, maybe the answer is to give to some else instead.

Posted by Tim