FEATURED INTERN
ANTOINE
POWELL
DOT USA TeachUp!
Intern
"My love for technology
and helping others is what drove me to the internship at DOT USA...Through my
first year as an Intern, I found the interactive whiteboards to be the path for
a career after graduation."
Learn more about Antoine...
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INTERN
ALUMNI
WONDWOSSEN
MITIKU
DOT Ethiopia ReachUp! Intern Support Manager and
Alumnus
"The experience I got
working in the community helps me to see how we can mobilize our youth and women
for a better future, I understand that there is potential to see a better
world."
"Together we can make it
happen...together we can make a difference."
Learn more about
Wondwossen...
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PARTNER
PROFILE
Kenya
Disabled Action Network (KEDAN)
KEDAN joins the growing list of
DOT Kenya community partners with 20 young men and women having enrolled in the
pioneering class in May 2008. KEDAN is a community-based youth organisation
formed by and for youth with disabilities in 2003.
Learn more this
DOT Kenya partner...
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PODCASTS
Visit the new Multimedia page on our website to
access our podcasts, including the recent CBC morning radio show with Janet
Longmore and Interns Patricia Oyoyo and Antoine
Powell.
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INTERN
VIDEO
Mentwab
Abiy (Ethiopia), David Thiberville (USA), Paul Akiiki (Lebanon) and Robina Guchu
(Kenya)
DOT Intern Alumni discuss their internships and the impact
that they have helped make within their communities. Watch their video from Doha,
Qatar.
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WHO WE
ARE
Digital Opportunity Trust creates educational
and economic opportunities through the use of information and communication
technologies for communities and people living in the developing
world.
Learn
about our Global Partners...
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NEWSLETTERS
Read the latest DOT Ethiopia Bisrat and DOT Kenya Tangaza
newsletters.
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QUOTE OF THE
MONTH
"If you really
want something, and really work hard, and take advantage of opportunities, and
never give up, you will find a way. Follow your Dreams."
- Jane
Goodall
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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Issue #11 -
September 2008
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Intern Week
2008
Antoine Powell
(USA Intern), Abdul Khan (Chair of the DOT Board) and Louis Whittington (USA
Intern) at the DOT Reception
From September 8th-12th, three
DOT Interns enjoyed a spectacular week in Ottawa. Neither Hurricane Gustav, nor
Hurricane Ike, nor a long flight from Kenya could stop our Interns from
participating in a hectic but rewarding week.
The event coincided with
the annual DOT Global Board of Directors Meeting and the Interns were given the
opportunity to present to the Board and speak first hand about their experiences
as an Intern. The presentations outlined the Interns' backgrounds and
interests, their roles within their community, and inspiring success stories
illustrating the remarkable impact that the Interns have made within their local
communities. In addition, the Interns discussed the ways in which the
internship has helped to develop marketable job skills and their personal career
aspirations. Later that evening, visitors from government and industry joined
the Interns and the DOT Board for a reception at the DOT House.
The next morning, Antoine, Patricia
and Janet Longmore were in studio at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
to tape an interview for the CBC morning radio. The broadcast aired later that
week and is available on our website.
The Interns then had the tremendous
opportunity to present to a large group at CIDA (Canadian International
Development Agency) and engage in discussions with the CIDA program officers.
Later that evening, the Interns spoke to a 4th year class in Social
Entrepreneurship at Carleton University, taught by DOT Director David
Nostbakken.
Grant Thomas
(DOT Vice President), Antoine Powell, David Nostbakken, Patricia Oyoyo and Louis
Whittington
 The Interns also made presentations that week at
IDRC (International Development Research Centre) and enjoyed a powerful
discussion with Edwin Bourque, President of Transpolar Technology, a Canadian
Aboriginal consulting enterprise.
On the final day, the Interns made a
presentation via teleconference for the Cisco Foundation as a feature on DOT,
and discussed their thoughts and future involvement in DOT's Intern Alumni
program with DOT staff.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
"I really worked
on my public speaking and professional appearance this past week. It was a
wonderful learning experience. I would characterize it as being invaluable. I am
much more proud of the work I do every day now. It really helps to see where DOT
has originated from and all of the great work it will be doing in the
future!" - Louis Whittington "The city is not the only thing that has been great,
but the people that we have meet have been great too. From the board members to
the DOT staff to everyone we made our presentations to have been the best! They
all made us feel at home and were very interested in what we had to say. You
really get to see what DOT is all about and how much of a impact that we are
making not only in the United States but around the world. It makes me proud to
be in amazing organization." -
Antoine Powell"The weather has been friendly and definitely I have
learnt to adjust to some things. Vehicles are driven on the right hand side of
the road unlike in Kenya where they take the left hand side so I have had to
cope especially when crossing the road! I have had enough time to interact with
the DOT USA Interns and really got to know more about what they do in the
TeachUp! program. Wish I could stay longer..." - Patricia
Oyoyo
Congratulations
Interns and Best Wishes in All of Your Future
Successes!
View more photos from the
event...
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Ethiopian
Community Participant Success Story: Making a Dream into Reality
 My name is Tebareak Mohammed and I
completed DOT's ReachUp! course. Before I participated in the training I was
idle and spent my time in vain. But now the course gave me some clues to decide
and think of my future.
I have now decided to create my own business
idea from my community needs. I would like to open a bakery and I am very
determined to make this dream a reality.
Recently I gathered some money
from my close relative but it was not enough to start my business. So for the
time being I am prepared to retail breads from manufacturers. I will rap on
every opportunity door to enhance my capacity.
I would like to thank DOT
Ethiopia for affording me such an opportunity because it is worthwhile to
appreciate the minds of youth and increase their confidence to develop!
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Making Cents:
Three TeachUp! Interns Attend 2008 Global Youth Enterprise
Conference
 Intern
delegates Jason Blocker, Angela Baldwin and Doyle
Reid
"I understand now that even if you give a youth a small amount
of money and the guidance and tools they need, they can make a big difference,"
said Jason Blocker, DOT USA's 21s/TeachUp! Support Intern.
The two-day
event played host to people from across the globe and was filled with
discussions and activities designed to create an open dialogue among youth,
business leaders, policy makers, and other professionals.
"The conference
was filled with people from all over the world who wanted to find solutions to
problems that plague non-government youth organizations," Angela Baldwin, a
TeachUp! Intern working in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, wrote in a blog
following the conference. "Although some of the terminology went over my head,
the message was still very clear 'the children are our future.'"
The
conference created an excellent opportunity for the Interns to see not only how
their efforts with the TeachUp! Program fit into a larger picture, but also
opened their eyes to new possibilities within the TeachUp! Program. Angela
Baldwin experienced this first hand when she met a group of teens who started a
photography club in Argentina called ph15. Angela asked the group if they would
be interesting in becoming pen pals with the students from TeachUp!
schools.
"I think that this project will help everyone involved to
understand that people are more alike than they are different," said
Baldwin.
The Interns left the conference with a greater knowledge of
efforts being made around the world to empower youth. They returned to their
TeachUp! responsibilities with new experiences, education, and ideas hoping to
ensure that TeachUp! remains an active part in shaping the youth of America and
around the world.
- Article by
Ginny Sims, DOT USA Communications Intern
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TeachUp! Interns
in the Recovery School District Weather the Storms and Look Forward to a Bright
Year
DOT USA expanded its TeachUp! Program to
20 schools in New Orleans's Recovery School District (RSD) for the 2008-2009
school year. The Recovery School District was established following Hurricane
Katrina in an effort to change the face of education in New Orleans as the city
began to rebuild.
The Interns began intensive training on August 9. The
training, which lasted two weeks, included online, Face-to-Face, and technical
trainings. Justine Ickes, Director of Programs and Training, led the
Face-to-Face portion of the TeachUp! training.
 "The Face-to-Face training was
probably the most effective part of the training," said Erica Wilson (featured
right in photo), a TeachUp! Intern in the RSD. "It helped us to open up and
become more comfortable meeting new people and boosting our self
confidence."
Mikkel Allen (featured left in above photo), another RSD
TeachUp! Intern, agreed that the emphasis on group communication was a valuable
skill that would always be useful. "Tech skills need to be constantly updated,
but communication skills are for life," said Allen.
The Interns entered their respective
schools during the beginning of September; however, on September 1 Hurricane
Gustav, the first major hurricane to threaten New Orleans since Hurricane
Katrina, made landfall bringing the city to a standstill.
The city of
New Orleans acted quickly to evacuate citizens and prepare the city for the
storm. A newly improved levee system protected the city, and New Orleans was
spared the brunt of the destruction. However some damage and power outages
remained a problem.
Read more...
- Article and
photos by Ginny Sims
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Message to Our
Readers
Thank you
for your ongoing support and contributions to the success of Digital Opportunity Trust.
If you would like to share your feedback, or if you are a DOT Intern or
alumni and would like to share your success story, please contact
me.
I look forward to
hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Emily Marks
Communications Manager, DOT
email: newsletter@dotrust.org
website: www.dotrust.org
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Digital Opportunity Trust
USA: TeachUp! Interns do Their Part to Make A Difference
2008-11-18
