Activists and philanthropists became interested in installing ilimBox in schools in Kyrgyzstan
“IlimBox” is a digital library for schools and public libraries, containing Wikipedia in Kyrgyz, Russian and English, the Khan Academy electronic library in English, thousands of video lessons, audio and electronic books. All these digital training materials are available offline, in other words, they do not need access to the Internet. Access to Digital Libraries will be via smartphones, tablets, computers and any other personal devices with Wi-Fi technology.
To date, about 100 schools in the regions of Kyrgyzstan have received and installed ilimBox to improve students’ access to online learning materials. Assistance in the distribution and installation of equipment in schools was provided not only by the project participants but also activists and philanthropists who see how significant help “ilimBox” can provide in improving students’ access to information.
IDEA youth organization helped establish 25 ilimBox in Naryn, Jalal-Abad, and Chui regions.
“According to the feedbacks of the students and teachers, we realized it was something new for them. They really liked that they had the opportunity to view training videos and audiobooks in Kyrgyz without access to the Internet. The additional advantage is you do not need a computer to use it, all information is available on each student’s smartphone,” says Bibinur Bolotkanova, IDEA project coordinator.
In her opinion, installing ilimBox in schools solves a number of existing problems and also makes the process of obtaining new information more accessible and mobile.
“Unfortunately, there is very little literature in the Kyrgyz language in the public domain, especially fiction. The presence of books is an opportunity for children to expand their horizons and knowledge base. Most of them do not read just because they simply do not know what books are. ilimBox helps them get a list of interesting literature sorted by genre, and the ability to download any book to their smartphone,” said Bibinur Bolotkanova.
Former Deputy Minister of Economics Eldar Abakirov also appreciated the importance of the ilimBox device and helped establish it in schools in the Chui region.
“ilimBox is very relevant in schools where the Internet is very weak or there is none at all. School leaders and teachers say they are very active in using the information stored on the device. Based on it, children prepare reports, essays and much more. The electronic library ilimBox contains more than an extensive amount of educational information necessary for students in schools,” said Abakirov.
He also stressed that in order to popularize the project, it is necessary to constantly monitor the use of the device.
“Time will tell how actively teachers and students will use ilimBox. I believe that it would be good to conduct open lessons every 2-3 months using ilimBox, use the videos contained in the electronic library of the device, and conduct popularizing events,” said Eldar Abakirov.
ilimBox is an innovative solution to two pressing problems of the educational system of the Kyrgyz Republic, such as the lack of books and the lack of the Internet. limBox contains Wikipedia in Kyrgyz, Russian and English, the Khan Academy in English, thousands of video lessons, audio and electronic books. All these digital training materials are available offline, in other words, they do not need access to the Internet. Access to Digital Libraries will be via smartphones, tablets, computers and any other personal devices with Wi-Fi technology.
It is worth noting that all data is stored in the device itself, and for connection only the power supply and the box itself are necessary. The uniqueness of the innovative project is that students can access educational resources at school without an Internet connection.
The project is funded by the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund 2018 (AEIF) as part of innovative solutions to global problems and the Beyond the Net ISOC program.
