Thanks to the collaboration between Hydro, the Norwegian union Industri Energi and the local authorities in Brazil, children and young people in Paragominas were given the opportunity to use 15 iPads in 2013 to learn more about the possibilities in the world of computers. < / p>

School support before and after class

Through the strategic use of apps that promote the learning of both languages and mathematics, the project aims to help children learn how to use computer tools and encourage them to learn more. The iPad project is part of an extended school care program that is offered in a center for children and adolescents called CASECA.

“It is comparable to the offer in school centers in Norway. The feedback from Brazil says that CASECA is very important to ensure that students continue to go to school, ”said Sten Roar Martinsen and Billy Fredagsvik. Both are members of the Industri Energi union and employee representatives at Hydro. In 2013 you actively campaigned for the project to be realized.

Good feedback and results

In a recent survey involving 117 children, 91 percent replied that iPads help them learn better and 83 percent said tablets made them use voluntary school care more often .
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"It is very encouraging to see how happy the children are about this offer. We only get positive feedback, ”say the employee representatives.
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The so-called iPads4Learning project is led by the aid organization Africa StartUp, which is already overseeing a corresponding project in Ghana. Africa StartUp director Marit Olderheim says the main goal of the project is to inspire children to learn using technology and that better English and math skills are important.
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“That's why we use apps that combine games with learning. This is a procedure that brings very good results, no matter where, “says Olderheim.

Want to prevent early school leaving

The overarching goal of CASECA is to prevent child labor and to strengthen family relationships. The center, operated by local school authorities, offers a range of activities for children either before or after school. Activities include sports, music, dance, English and now, with the iPad project, information technology.
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Hydro is the owner and operator of one of the world's largest bauxite mines, located in Paragominas. The bauxite mined there is processed into aluminum oxide, which in turn is used as a raw material for aluminum in the Norwegian smelters.

“The offer that we provide for children and young people at the CASCEA center in Paragominas is important for the whole Paragominas community. It is good to be able to improve children's learning opportunities while at the same time introducing them to a globally known product that contains a lot of aluminum. It shows them something of what can be made from bauxite in their environment, ”say Martinsen and Fredagsvik.