The ArabNet Digital Summit 2012 is one of the biggest gatherings of digital professionals in the Middle East and North Africa, and I'm very glad to be a part of organizing DOT's supporting partnership with the event.

The summit, which will take place between March 27-31 in Beirut, Lebanon, will be a 5-day festival that will celebrate technology, entrepreneurship, and mobile development.

I'm especially pleased that the summit will provide young innovators in the Middle East and North Africa…

This week at DOT:

• DOT signed a landmark agreement with the Government of Aguascalientes in Mexico to improve access to technology and innovation in schools
• An Intern shared how the ICT skills delivered through the ReachUp! program are changing lives in Kenya
• DOT and ArabNet invite all young innovators in the Middle East and North Africa to join the Ideathon and Startup Demo Competition
• A ReachUp! participant in Kenya's Western Province shares how he has benefited from the ReachUp! program

This week at DOT:

• A DOT Rwanda Intern recounted the first Rwandan StartUp! participant graduation ceremony
• DOT and ArabNet invite young people in the MENA region to participate in an Ideathon and Startup Demo Competition
• DOT Mexico signed an agreement with the Government of Aguascalientes that will allow the TeachUp! program to impact more teachers and students
• At DOT Rwanda, program participants, staff, and Interns in Kamonyi volunteered their time to help build a community bank
• Three…

Information and communications technologies (ICT) have changed the world in a big way. Everything is going digital, and very soon I believe papers and files will be a thing of the past in Kenya. We can all see how computers have made work easier, as we have simple retrieval of data and a way to store information.

The community members who have participated in the ReachUp! classes I have facilitated have really gained alot from the ICT classes. facilitate the ReachUp! program at Family Heath…

This week at DOT:

• DOT Lebanon shared details from the recent graduation at Ein El Helwei Palestinian Refugee Camp
• A DOT Ethiopia volunteer and past program participant wrote about his thoughts DOT's programs
• DOT Kenya Intern Lucy Kamau wrote about her experience as a facilitator in a Q&A
• 131 DOT Rwanda program participants graduated from StartUp! in Kigali
• DOT Kenya is hosting two volunteers from the British Council's Youth Global Xchange program
• A cross-cultural video chat set up…

DOT Kenya Intern Lucy Kamau has been delivering the ReachUp! program through DOT partner organization Family Health Options Kenya since August 2011. The organization, which is based in Nairobi, focuses on providing social services to youth, including a clinic, counselling, peer education, and recreational activities. Lucy delivers DOT's ReachUp! program to youth who visit the centre.

The ReachUp! program delivers training in technology and business to young people in Nairobi and communities…

This week at DOT:

• The 2011 DOT Innovation Festival was recognized for promoting innovation in Ethiopia by ZOMA Magazine
• DOT Kenya Intern Felix Mweu participated in a Q&A about his experience facilitating the ReachUp! program
• DOT China wished a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year to all of DOT and its partners
• Two DOT Kenya ReachUp! community participants shared their success stories

This week at DOT:

• DOT USA shared a letter from the Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority that salutes the TeachUp! program
• DOT Rwanda shared highlights from the year 2011
• DOT Rwanda was featured in IMVAHO NSHA, a daily Kigali-based newspaper
• 200 women from Ein al-Hilweh Palestinian Refugee Camp who participated in DOT Lebanon's programs graduated in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from Switzerland, Canada, and Lebanon
• A DOT Kenya Intern shared how facilitating the…

Through my experience facilitating the ReachUp! program at DOT, I have seen my participants lives change for the better. This has always given me satisfaction, and makes me feel like I should never stop! The ReachUp! program has been a chance for many of my participants to literally meet a computer for the first time. For others, it's an opportunity to explore new tasks that can be performed on the computer. My participants are coming out to discover their gifts and talents, and are perfecting…