Twitter – Talk Vietnam

Microsoft Vietnam, Vietnet-ICT and The Dariu Foundation have partnered to create the ‘Enabling Boat,’ an empowerment project targeting young programmers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The ‘Enabling Boat,’ a months-long project aimed at empowering southern Vietnam’s tech-savvy youth, launched at the Saigon-Vinh Long Hotel in Vinh Long Province on April 10 with support from the sponsors who implemented the venture. Vietnet-ICT and The Dariu Foundation, a Swiss NGO active in promoting education initiatives in Vietnam, implemented the project with funding provided by Microsoft Vietnam as part of the larger YouthSpark Digital Inclusion (YDI) program. Local teachers and students display innovative educational practices at the ‘Enabling Boat’’s launch ceremony on April 10, 2018. Photo: Tien Bui YDI aims to provide an environment conducive to teaching computer science in middle and high schools across Vietnam. Now in its third phase, the YDI set the primary objective for the enabling boat as reaching young students in the three Mekong Delta provinces of Vinh Long, Tien Giang, and Hau Giang. According to Khoa Pham, director of corporate external and legal affairs for Microsoft Vietnam, Microsoft’s contribution for the project totaled US$3 million. A panel discussion at the launch ceremony to exchange ideas between the sponsor, implementers, and beneficiaries of the project. Photo: Tien Bui Microsoft Vietnam is also willing to work with educational organizations in disadvantaged areas to provide bundles of licensed software at cost-effective prices. The ‘Enabling Boat’ project aims to achieve its objectives by boosting students’ technological competence via computer science training and programming courses in Scratch/Kudo aboard an actual boat equipped with 30 laptops and Internet access. In 2018, the project’s goals include training 35,000 students aged 6-17 in digital skills, with 10,000 of those exposed to coding. A 9th …