Cloud software company Salesforce has donated two BrightBox Micros for refugees in the United Nations Bidibidi Camp, providing access to books read during the Read-A-Thon, along with other key digital educational resources.
The BrightBox Micro is a suitcase-sized solar digital classroom that is designed to boost capacity in overpopulated schools.
What happens in a Simbi Foundation Read-A-Thon?
A Simbi Foundation Read-A-Thon encourages individuals of all ages to renew their love of reading and compete with each other by narrating books into the online Simbi platform.
It adds narrated stories to the global library and to Simbi Foundation BrightBoxes—solar classrooms built-in remote and refugee communities in Uganda and India. As a result, Read-A-Thon participants’ voices are available to readers from over 80 countries, with each story helping to build reading fluency!
Why use narration to boost literacy?
Their partner company Simbi developed their immersive reading technology on a principle known a “bi-modal” reading, where learners read along to books that are simultaneously narrated to them.
When learners have used a bi-modal approach in randomized control trials, their literacy scores have been shown to increase by up to 100% over traditional learning methods.
How is Salesforce involved?
Staff from the cloud software company Salesforce participated in their very own company-wide Read-A-Thon! Salesforce has also generously donated two BrightBox Micros for the United Nations Bidibidi Camp in Uganda.
Speaking about the Read-A-Thon, Jesse Friedland, Salesforce Regional Manager, said: “636 books narrated and thousands of learners impacted around the world—proud of the Salesforce team! If you’re looking for a meaningful, covid-friendly way to give back, consider a Read-A-Thon with Simbi Foundation.”
What does a BrightBox Micro do?
BrightBox Micros are portable versions of our full BrightBox classrooms. Suitcase-sized, solar-powered, dust-proof, and damage-proof, they support up to 1,500 simultaneous learners through an offline intranet with a 2.7km radius.
Users can access the Simbi Learn Cloud curriculum as well as teacher-training resources.
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