Author: Joe Ricketts

Over the years, I’ve observed that my ideas usually follow a progression that starts with what I call the “dream phase.” That’s the time I think about a new idea, talk about it with people I respect, and give it enough time and oxygen to develop.

A lot of my ideas never get out of the dream phase; after rolling them around in my head, I realize the idea isn’t all that compelling or won’t work for some reason. But when an idea survives the dream phase and starts to become a reality, it’s very exciting for me.

Over the past few years, I’ve been thinking a lot about how technology is remaking education and what that means for Opportunity Education Foundation and its mission. I can’t imagine a better way to spend my time because I believe education will be the catalyst for breaking the cycle of poverty in both developing nations and the poorest parts of the United States. And as I’ve thought about all this, I’ve been dreaming about developing a digital curriculum, designed for a tablet computer, that Opportunity Education Foundation could give away to children in the areas of greatest need.

Well, I am very excited these days because Opportunity Education Foundation’s tablet project is moving from the dream phase to the reality phase. We’re starting in Tanzania with a 1,000-kid pilot program that will launch in January 2014. Based on what we learn from this relatively small test, we will expand the program. Over time, I hope it will reach children in all the countries where the Foundation operates, and maybe further.

The Foundation’s tablet team just got back from 10 days in Tanzania, where they tested an early version of the Opportunity Tablet. The idea was to see how the kids interacted with the hardware and software, and then to improve that experience before the pilot begins in January.

These are kids who had never before seen a tablet computer and, in most cases, never seen a smart phone. But they were quick to figure out the tablet interface and put it to work right away — something that was truly amazing to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Friday evening, March 1, was a special night for the Opportunity Education Foundation, which helps to give hundreds of thousands of kids in Africa and Asia access to quality education and which I’ve been privileged to support for the past eight years. We were in Dallas, Texas, at the Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie, for the first-ever Opportunity Education Benefit Concert, an exciting event headlined by the talented young pop star Kelly Clarkson.

It was a wonderful evening, filled with great music and good feeling. For me, the best part was seeing so many young people having such a good time while hearing about the foundation’s important work. It was also inspiring to hear Ms. Clarkson, whose mother is a teacher, talk about the link between education and opportunity – how America became known as the Land of Opportunity because of the access to good education that so many of us take for granted and how the Opportunity Education Foundation is working to give children all over the world the same chance to succeed.

I’m so grateful to Ms. Clarkson for supporting our efforts and helping to spread the word about Opportunity Education’s vital mission.

 

I just got back from an exciting trip to India with my brother Jim and a group of technology and education experts. We were there to advance a dream I have of giving hundreds of thousands of kids throughout the Third World what I have dubbed the Opportunity Tablet – a free tablet computer loaded with powerful digital lesson plans that would replace the educational materials Opportunity Education Foundation currently gives to schools in developing nations.

For the better part of a week, we travelled across India visiting tablet manufacturers and assembly sites, along with providers of world-class digital educational content.  In addition to learning a lot about how tablet computers can be made inexpensively and efficiently, I also got the opportunity to share my vision of how education can lift people out of poverty, enabling them to pursue jobs or start businesses that, over time, can transform a society.

The trip also reminded me of what a great country India is. Perhaps it’s a function of its youthful population or the widespread emphasis on education, but whatever the reason, India is a place where ingenuity and creativity are palpable.  My experience tells me that if these qualities are given the opportunity to flourish, the result will eventually be lasting prosperity for everyone.

And speaking of ingenuity andprosperity, while we were in Mumbai I had the opportunity to visit LoudCloud Systems, an early-stage company in which I have an interest. LoudCloud is revolutionizing the Learning Management Systems and Student Information Systems that will form the backbone for mass high-quality, analytics-driven education.  Seeing all the young faces at LoudCloud and hearing the questions they had for me was invigorating. You could feel the enthusiasm in the air – along with everyone’s belief in what they were doing and what can be accomplished with hard work . It reminded me of the early days of TD Ameritrade.