Dear Rotarian, partner or friend.
In 2021 The Rotary Club of Playa Coronado put 6 RACHEL (Remote Area Community Hotspot Electronic Learning) Systems (RACHEL Server +10 Chromebook Computers + Power Supply) into 6 schools for Evaluation. It cost $24,000 for 6 schools, and included hardware and training and was principally funded by Rotary Clubs in Utah.
The Ministry of Education in Cocle Province saw such positive results from the Evaluation that they requested more schools to be added. In October 2023 Rotary International (RI) Global Grant (GG2453218) “RACHEL in Panama”raised in excess of $67,700 that was used to put 18 complete RACHEL systems into remote schools with no internet access. Basic and advanced training in Digital Competencies was offered to all the teachers at all 18 schools and Ministry of Education staff.
In December 2024 the Ministry of Education in Cocle Province requested a further 50 schools to be added. RI Global Grant GG2575173 RACHEL Growing in Panama has been submitted for 50 additional schools at a total cost of approximately $154,000. With pledges, donations and money from the RI World Fund we have already raised $70,000. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO RAISE MORE FUNDS BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2025.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- Use the presentation to solicit funds from Rotary District, Rotary Clubs, friends, family and anyone else who may be able to help. The amount of funding is not important. The link and a video showing the presentation of the PowerPoint are: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-1OEng_4CJCLRb6TG5YH5vtyb_HZpORe?usp=share_link
- In the case of Rotary donations:-
- Donations of District Designated Funds will be matched by the World Fund (at 80%). This is the best way for our Rotary Club to receive donations.
- Large cash donations can be made directly to Rotary International. The GG number MUST be stated, an additional 5% handling fee MUST be added, but Rotary Awards will be given.
- In the case of donations directly to the Rotary Club of Playa Coronado:-
- Cash (to the Treasurer) or ACH transfers directly into the Club Account, clearly marked RACHEL.
- For donations of $1,000 or more, a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow will be given as recognition (given by Rotary International).
- For donations of $3,000 a plaque bearing donor name will be given (if you wish) to a whichever school you nominate.
- For donations of $10,000 or more, please discuss with Mike Peers, before doing anything.
- The project is readily scalable, more schools, at $3k each, if we exceed the target.
PLEASE. Help us reach our goal to help those less fortunate than us. We can ALL Make a difference!
Our global grant application for funding to help provide RACHEL systems and train teachers in the use of them as a tool to improve the school children academic performance in 18 remote schools in Panama, submitted by the Rotary Club of Playa Coronado and the Rotary Club of Murray, has been approved by The Rotary Foundation.
RACHEL (Remote Area Community Hotspot for Education and Learning) was created by World Possible and is a portable, battery-powered device containing copies of educational websites in offline format. With it, anyone can access the best educational resources from the web at any time without the need for an active internet connection. There are approximately 850 schools (120,000 students) in Panama could use RACHEL.
The Rotary Club of Playa Coronado evaluated “RACHEL in Panama” project in 2021/22, permission was obtained from the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) to put systems into 3 schools in Cocle Province and 3 schools in Panama Oeste Province. Each school received a RACHEL fully loaded with educational software, an uninterruptible power supply, 10 Chromebook Computers and each teacher received one full day of training in the use of RACHEL and learning techniques that can be used with it. Cost per school ~$4,000.
The MEDUCA developed and approved “Currículum Priorizado 2021”, which is available on the internet has been incorporated with almost all its learning materials, together with many Spanish application modules that were developed for use in Guatemala. In total there are 72 Spanish modules and 53 English modules included, with room for many more.
The Rotary Club of Playa Coronado evaluated “RACHEL in Panama” project in 2021/22, permission was obtained from the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) to put systems into 3 schools in Cocle Province and 3 schools in Panama Oeste Province. Each school received a RACHEL fully loaded with educational software, an uninterruptible power supply, 10 Chromebook Computers and each teacher received one full day of training in the use of RACHEL and learning techniques that can be used with it. Cost per school ~$4,000.
The MEDUCA developed and approved “Currículum Priorizado 2021”, which is available on the internet has been incorporated with almost all its learning materials, together with many Spanish application modules that were developed for use in Guatemala. In total there are 72 Spanish modules and 53 English modules included, with room for many more.
Together, We End Polio
With your help, we can make lives better in our community.
Thank You!
— Local (Panamanian Banks) Transfers —
Name: Club Rotario de Playa Coronado
A/C Num: 03-33-01-123276-3
AC Type Corriente(Checking)
Banco General
RUC: 25036770-3-2018 DV: 92
Resuelto No. 135-PJ-135 de 15 de junio de 2017
Rotary shares an interest in protecting our common legacy: the environment.
We are committed to supporting activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance ecological sustainability, and foster harmony between communities and the environment. We empower communities to access grants and other resources, embrace local solutions, and spur innovation in an effort to address the causes and reduce the effects of climate change and environmental degradation.
Below you can see some of the projects we've done...
During the pandemic we distributed more than 160,000 gallons of water, more than 15 tons of food and numerous amount of face masks ...
More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17 percent of the world’s adult population.
Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. We support education for all children and literacy for children and adults.
A well wisher removed all the old air-conditioner units, promising to bring new. None arrived. A first time visitor to Nutre Hogar saw the holes left in the walls and noticed that there were no fanes. Immediately, touched by the need, she decided to buy new fans to meet the requirements of the home. Air-conditioning is not required for young Panamanian children and electricity is very expensive, hence fans are the most practical way of giving airflow. The fans donated were 3 ceiling units and 7 wall mounted units. Remote controls were not required. The Rotary Club of Playa Coronado was asked if it would arrange for the installation of the fans. We agreed
To supply a raised platform for 2 water tanks to supply water to the Nutre Hogar "Food House" in Penonomé. Nutre Hogar provides necessary nutrition for up to twenty-two children in the age range 0-5 years The Nutre Hogar is a residential home, located in the District Capital Penonomé. To be effective and safe, the home needs (working) child toilets, finished washing facilities and a safe child bathing area. It did not have these until the Rotary Club of Playa Coronado acted. The home suffers due to both inadequate and extended interruption of electrical and water supplies.
We also built them a new kitchen with the help of Richmond Hill Rotary Club of Canada.
In 2014, our first service project was almost more than we could handle. We raised over $38,000 locally and with a contribution of $20,000 from the Rotary Club of Pleasanton, California, USA, we purchased and imported 300 wheelchairs from The Wheelchair Foundation. Facing the daunting task of distributing so many wheelchairs, we enlisted the other 13 Rotary Clubs in Panama.
With the help of the Rotary Clubs of Colon, Chitre, La Chorrera, Panama Sur and others, we were able to locate potential recipients and provide them and their families with mobility. Many had never had a wheelchair and were often carried around by family members or were permanently bedridden.
With the help of the Rotary Clubs of Colon, Chitre, La Chorrera, Panama Sur and others, we were able to locate potential recipients and provide them and their families with mobility. Many had never had a wheelchair and were often carried around by family members or were permanently bedridden.
The overwhelming success of this project instilled in our members and many in our community the spirit of Rotary and our motto “Service Above Self”.
We raised $ 24,000.00 with the help of the Rotary Club of Calgary South that raised over US$15,000. With this money we were able to purchase 6 portable defibrillators that will be placed in strategic locations in various communities along the beaches from Penonomé to Chame, Panama. We now have 2 defibrillators in El Rey Supermarkets that are open 24 hours. One in El Valle and one in Coronado. A third is planned for the new El Rey in Penonomé when it opens. One at the "Fundación San José" in Pesé, Herrera and 2 more to find a location.