Press+Release

Contact: John Schaffhausen, Globe University Minneapolis 612-455-3018 jschaffhausen@globeuniversity.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


 * In partnership with Walden University’s Global Day of Service that launched in October 2011, students in the IT Club at the Globe University Minneapolis campus are taking their talents and skills and applying them to volunteerism. Their goal: make a difference in the lives of others by using skills they’ve learned in class. **

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.—January 27, 2012—The IT Club students spent their free time repairing and rebuilding 50 donated computers in a luxury vacant office on the nineteenth floor of the IDS Center as part of one of Walden University’s Global Day of Service volunteer initiatives. The refurbished computers will be sent overseas to the island of São Tomé and Principe, located off the western coast of central Africa, in an effort to help students in two middle schools become 21st Century Global Learners.

The Global Day of Service Project for São Tomé and Principe was created and organized by Walden University PhD in Educational Technology students, Maria Jardim, who resides in São Tomé, and Alexandra Salas, who resides in the U.S., and Dr. Doug Tedford, a recent Walden doctoral graduate who resides in Mexico.

Multiple contributions have made this project possible. First, Jardim trained the middle school teachers in the use of computers and educational technology in the classroom. Websites were also created for the two schools and teachers have started to learn how to maintain them. In addition, Jardim harnessed the power of 87 students; teacher and parent volunteers were able to renovate the classrooms in these tiny island villages for the children enrolled in grades five through nine. Local companies in São Tomé and Príncipe donated paints, paint brushes, window panes, hinges for the doors and windows, electricity for one of the schools, and electric cables to prepare for the arrival of the refurbished computers from John Schaffhausen and Globe University-Minneapolis. Lastly, TAP Airlines, the Portuguese airline carrier, has agreed to cover shipping costs from New York to São Tomé and Príncipe.  Schaffhausen, IT Program Chair at Globe University-Minneapolis, lead the computer refurbishment initiative, which has expanded to other Globe University (Woodbury) and Minnesota School of Business (Lakeville) campuses in the metro area. As an educator and IT professional, he realizes the importance of computers in the classroom to enhance interactivity and enrich the collaborative learning experience. “I believe the next generation IT innovator is in the world somewhere, but if he/she is not introduced to the world of computers at an early age, he/she may realize his/her passion too late in life. Depriving the next generation innovator the tools needed to realize their dream, is our fault.”

The computers were donated from friends, family and business organizations throughout the United States. The IDS Center generously provided a previously unoccupied office space on the nineteenth floor as a staging and work area for this project. Other organizations have come forward and provided shipping materials (bubble wrap, Styrofoam, and boxes) however, shipping expenses are very costly.

Currently the cost to ship the systems from New York to Sao Tome is being covered by TAP Airlines; however the systems are in Minnesota and funding or sponsorship is needed. “We are not stopping with these first fifty computers as when word got out, the request for more systems was received from countries like Cameroon, Ghana and India. Now more than ever the IT Club is looking for more donations of computers, monitors, shipping material, and shipping services”. John Schaffhausen has partnered with Enabling Support Foundation, which offers Internet services to schools with disabled or impoverished students, as a way to offer donators a tax deduction on their donations. If you would like to sponsor or donate to this initiative, please contact John Schaffhausen directly at (612) 455-3018 or jschaffhausen@globeuniversity.edu .

–###– <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Globe University and Minnesota School of Business operate cooperatively to provide students with industry-specific skills and education needed to be successful in their chosen careers. The schools are accredited by Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). ACICS is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the United States Department of Education and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Globe University and Minnesota School of Business’s 20 campuses serve more than 11,000 students throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota. The schools offer Master’s degrees, Bachelor of Science degrees, Associate in Applied Science degrees, and diplomas in five main educational areas: business, health care, technology, multimedia/creative production and legal sciences. For more information, visit <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[|globeuniversity.edu] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> or <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">About Globe University/Minnesota School of Business **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 48,500 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 55 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries. Walden University offers more than 65 degree programs with more than 330 specializations and concentrations. Academic professionals number more than 2,500 faculty members. (http://www.waldenu.edu/Documents/News-and-Events/Walden_Fact_Sheet.pdf)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">About Walden University **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walden’s Global Day of Service is an annual activity in place since 2006. On this occasion the Walden community participates in volunteer efforts in locations around the world. According to Walden University’s website “In 2011, the Walden community participated in more than 200 service projects in the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Egypt, France, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Haiti, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Macedonia, Malawi, Mexico, Micronesia, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Saint Lucia, Samoa, **Sao Tome and Principe**, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Maria Jardim - Sao Tomé and Príncipe; Mobile(00239832323) ; maria.jardim@waldenu.edu <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Alexandra Salas – New Jersey; 201-280-8320, asalas@waldenu.edu <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Douglas Tedford <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">John Schaffhausen - Minneapolis, MN, 612-455-3018, jschaffhausen@globeuniversity.edu
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Project Leadership **