Press Release (18 Apr 2012)

Following its successful establishment as a hub to bridge the digital divide, WebOrganic has announced plans to bring forward the frontiers of digital learning still further in 2012.

Since its inception, WebOrganic quickly established itself as student’s one-stop Internet learning solution provider – the essential link between technology vendors, schools and students – and setting up a network of "Seed Schools" as well as 14 regional support centres. This has enabled it to reach out to almost 24,000 underprivileged students in 10 districts and provide services to over 7,000 families, supporting them to get low-cost access to the Internet at home for learning.

With its philosophy of offering Hope, Chance and Choice, the organisation has formulated a package of major new initiatives. They are designed to use technology to level the educational playing field and create equal learning opportunities for Hong Kong's younger generation regardless of wealth or social status.

"WebOrganic is establishing an eLearning ecosystem," explained Erwin Huang, CEO of WebOrganic, “’Seed Schools’, as a platform for communications and interactions with students and their parents, act as an important bridge between WebOrganic and the service recipients," he said.

"By persuading teachers to understand the value of eLearning, we are able to pass on the message of equality and opportunity, as well as healthy physical and moral use of the Internet. This in turn benefits individual students and their families, as well as the overall community."

WebOrganic's new plans will ride on its current community efforts which involve mentoring, counseling and training for parents, as well as expanding its product offering. The rollout, which is scheduled for the second half of 2012, will comprise key strategies, including:

• extending its reach by developing 10 more regional support centres.

• helping ethnic minorities with language support and services, including providing non-Chinese language workshops to introduce them to eLearning.

• providing funding and support to families that are not eligible for Government allowances, enabling them to enjoy the same equipment as other students in their daily academic life. We will strengthen our services including mentorship programme, support hotlines and referral services, with a focus on families with special needs, such as Internet addiction or cyber bullying.

• launching the Tree School Program to deliver 1-on-1 computing and tablet offerings.

"Technology is probably the most important educational enabler today. It has the potential to create a virtual environment where a student's potential is limited, not by their parent's wealth or social standing, but by their own ability to learn and desire to succeed," said Huang.

"WebOrganic is proving that students can enhance creativity and actualize their potentials when given access to basic technology and a network connection. Our goal in 2012 is to promote that message throughout the community and in schools, to let more teachers and parents know about the help we provide and the impact it can have on their children's academic life and long-term future," he said.