Five elementary schools of Sagay City received Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosks (STARBOOKS) from the Department of Science and Technology and SATOCA Agrarian Reform Cooperative during a ceremonial turnover at the Schools Division Office of Sagay, Jan. 18.
These stand-alone computerized information kiosks or e-libraries will provide the students and the faculty access to science and technology information resources placed in specifically designed “pods” set in a user-friendly interface.
Each STARBOOKS contains hundreds of thousands of digitized science and technology resources in various formats like text, audio, and video, where an individual can print the information right at the kiosks.
The STARBOOKS project of the DOST is targeting those geographically isolated and economically challenged communities in the country.
In Sagay, DOST and SATOCA Agrarian Reform Coop turned over STARBOOKS to the upland Manara Elementary School, where most of the members of the Ata community are studying.
The island schools of Matabas Elem. School, Molocaboc II Elem. School, Molocaboc Integrated School, located in Molocaboc Island, and Suyac Elementary School in the mangrove island of Suyac were also STARBOOKS beneficiaries.
The event was attended by Schools Division Superintendent Marsette Sabbalucca, Councilor Perfecto Marañon, and representatives from SATOCA Agrarian Reform Cooperative and DOST-Negros Occidental.
Mayor Narciso Javelosa, Jr., in his message read by Councilor Marañon, expressed his thanks to the DOST provincial office and SATOCA Agrarian Reform Coop for giving this technology to the schools and hopes that it will help them in their endeavors in doing their science-related projects and activities.
Sabbaluca said that these e-libraries aim to infuse technology into the classes and instructions in these remote schools and she assured that more facilities will be given to them. (PR)