Buffalo, Missouri, is aptly named for the bison that roam the territory. A small group of us at Endless OS Foundation recently visited the land of corn, rice, soybeans, and buffalo. Dallas County, Missouri, a region of nearly 35,000 residents, represents many other places in rural America — small-knit community, home-town pride, and an infrastructure that lacks broadband internet due to complicated features of the terrain. For many of the schoolchildren we visited in the county, electricity, much less the internet, is a luxury. During our visit, we learned that our approach to digital equity through the development of offline content resonated with the school district’s IT administrator, science teacher, and students at the local middle school.

This is one of many stories we’re witnessing in the USA and worldwide.

A Library of Learning Resources

In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Endless OS formed as a nonprofit organization to double down on the work we’d been doing for nearly a decade. At that time, a third of K-12 United States public school students, or 16 million, were digitally disconnected (PDF). In that same year, we developed the Endless Key, a curated collection of K-12 learning resources from content partners like California Academy of Science, Common Sense Media, Khan Academy, Museum of Science, PBS Kids, and TED-Ed that can be accessed via a USB drive on Windows computers. Our goal was, and still is, to focus on learners who were regularly missed when it came to digital access. With the Endless Key USB, we introduced digitally disconnected learners to educator-reviewed e-books, interactive games, and YouTube videos that were readily available on the internet, with the hopes of lessening the digital divide that existed.

As we heard from urban and rural communities across the United States, we went back to work to further expand access to the Endless Key. Two years later, we developed a prototype of our Endless Key app, a downloadable app that can be accessed offline on Windows and Chromebook devices. For devices with limited data storage, and learners who want access to content that focuses on their interests, the app offering has been a game changer. As we begin to scale our community of learners, a question that keeps coming up from educators and learners, including at our recent visit to Buffalo, is, “Can I download this to my phone?” A great question, and one we’ve been hard at work on as we optimize our app for Android phones.

Making the Device More Accessible and Affordable

For many of us, when we think of purchasing a computer, we usually just think of the hardware cost and not the productivity tools, apps, learning resources, and connectivity that make the complete package. We’ve been optimizing our operating system, Endless OS, over the past 11 years on a range of devices from low-powered single-board computers like Raspberry Pi to the latest top-of-the-line workstations — and everything in between, including refurbished PCs. With Endless OS, we ensure a sustainable and easy-to-use system, with thoughtfully curated learning resources and productivity tools to support you as you work, play, and learn, regardless of whether or not you have connectivity — and with no hidden software costs.

Native communities like ones served by Cook Inlet Tribal Council in Alaska recently received laptops preinstalled with Endless OS and selected learning resources from Khan Academy, CK-12, Blockly Games, and PhET. GivePower set an ambitious goal of equipping 15 schools across the Bajura region of Nepal with solar-powered computer labs running Endless OS in 2023. During the pandemic, our partnership with Fundación Harp Helú ensured that indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, were able to include their preselected curriculum within Endless OS.

As part of the open source community, democratizing access to technology means we ensure that users have a system with software tools comparable to, and compatible with, apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe and learning resources that are available offline while also designing safety and privacy controls for families with young learners.

Join Our Community of Learners

As a global organization, we know the need for offline content, an affordable device, and a system that supports the safety and privacy of the users we serve. Whether you already have a device and just need free K-12 learning resources (Endless Key), or you’re looking to install a safe and easy-to-use operating system (Endless OS) that comes with free learning resources and productivity tools, we have a solution for you! We provide these solutions at no cost to the organizations we work with so that they can have as much impact as possible on the communities they serve. If you’re an organization interested in providing our product offerings to your community of users, let’s work together! Please contact us at outreach [at] endlessos [dot] org, and please provide the information about your organization listed below.

• Nonprofit organization name
• Contact name
• Contact email
• Country
• Language of the community you serve
• Short description of how you want to use Endless Key, Endless OS, or both
• Estimated number of users for Endless Key
• Estimated number of users for Endless OS

Are you someone who’s looking for a role that allows you to create a positive impact? Then we’ve got something for you! TechSoup Asia-Pacific is expanding its team in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. If you’re interested with working with TechSoup Asia-Pacific, check out our job openings below:

Project Coordinator (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

This is an excellent opportunity to expand your project coordination skills, whilst working within a dynamic, international team environment. The Project Coordinator will be based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and will form part of an integral small Asia-Pacific team, reporting on a day to day basis to the Project Manager, with close working relationships with the TechSoup Asia-Pacific team and TechSoup (grants and fundraising) team based in the USA, TechSoup’s various NGO partners and stakeholders throughout Southeast Asia.

What You’ll Do:

The project coordinator will be responsible for the overall administration and coordination of the YSEALI Regional Transparency and Anti-Corruption Workshop over a period of 12 months.

The project will bring together 100 youth leaders from throughout ASEAN and Timor-Leste for a week of workshops, masterclasses, networking and cultural offsite activities. You will be responsible for organising and coordination of the documentation of this project, including and not limited to preparing monthly reports, coordinating meetings, tracking project progress and deadlines, and implementing the logistics plan. The role will have you collaborating with TechSoup staff, the YSEALI Alumni network, U.S embassies, our partners and contractors in ASEAN and Timor-Leste.

Responsibilities:

• • Provide overall administrative support and coordination to the project
  • Maintain all project documentation including reports, quotations, evaluations, analyses, assessments as per project requirements
  • Assist in tracking progress of report deadlines and any other submissions related to the project
  • Assist with website updates, including editing graphics and text
  • Provide support to financial administrator including compiling and coordinating expense sheets and any other related documents related to finances
  • Provide support to project manager for monthly reporting submission
  • Assist with the execution of the logistics plan including researching and confirming event venues, and liaising with the logistics agency on participants and speaker details
  • Organise and document committee meetings, and any other meetings in relation to the project
  • Provide support to the social media coordinator who will be updating social media platforms

Qualifications and Experience:

At least 5-7 years working experience, with at least 5 years’ experience working in a project management capacity, preferably in a nonprofit, social enterprise, or an international development environment.

Knowledge and Skills: 

Essential

• At least 5 years working experience in a project management capacity, preferably in a cross-cultural, regional or international context
• Highly organized multi-tasker with strong attention to detail and deadline
• Essential project administration skills, including organising, coordinating and documenting
• Clear and concise communication abilities, both written and verbal, for both an internal and external audience
• Strong desktop publishing skills, proficient in the use of office productivity tools e.g. Microsoft office/Google Suite etc
• Independent, self-starter with proven ability to work autonomously as part of a geographically distributed team
• Demonstrated professionalism and flexibility in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Fluency in verbal and written English and Bahasa Malaysian; knowledge of one or more other ASEAN languages is a plus.

Desirable

• Candidates who have prior working experience in an international or regional organisation, or bilateral agencies are preferred.
• Prior long-term experience (more than 12 months) in project coordination and/or an administrative role in regional/international non-profit, human rights, social enterprise, or international development setting.
• Prior experience in managing development aid grants, especially from the U.S State Department.
• Experience in developing or implementing marketing and outreach plans, especially digital marketing and social media.
• Writing skills, including the ability to write short updates for both external (social media updates, website articles) and internal (newsletters) audiences.
• Social media skills including memes, GIFs, and knowledge of various social media platforms and their insights
• Financial administration skills, and experience in using some finance reporting tools
• Enthusiastic commitment to TechSoup’s mission; knowledge of the NGO sector and the role of technology in building the capacity of NGOs and charities.

Reporting

The Project Coordinator will functionally report to the Project Manager who will manage this project. The Project Coordinator’s direct line management will be with the Managing Director – Asia-Pacific.

Employment Conditions:

The successful candidate will be employed as an independent contractor of TechSoup and based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Locally competitive remuneration will be provided in line with the candidate’s experience and skill sets.  Due to the nature of the project and the funding associated with it, this position is strictly for a period of up to 12 months. Any continuation of the position/role is contingent on future funded projects or programmatic activities.

How to apply:

Those interested in applying should send their resume along with an accompanying cover letter that speaks to your desire for the role advertised and speaks to the relative qualifications, experiences, knowledge and skills that make you suited to the role. The resume and covering letter should be emailed through to sgee@techsoup.org and nannalia@techsoup.org, with “Project Coordinator – TechSoup Asia-Pacific” in the subject line.

Applications are accepted until January 10, 2020. Successful candidates should be able to start work soon on February 2020.