Transforming Education in Rural Haiti: Intel and L'Ecole De Choix

33 Pages Posted: 30 May 2017

See all articles by Patricia H. Werhane

Patricia H. Werhane

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Pauline Albert

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Crina Archer

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Laura P. Hartman

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Jenny Mead

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Abstract

This case tells the story of the Intel Corporation's collaboration with a nonprofit school in rural Haiti, l'Ecole de Choix (the School of Choice). Choix was already facing daunting educational challenges merely by virtue of being in Haiti, but the January 2010 earthquake had utterly devastated the already-fragile Haitian education system. Intel had sent volunteers to set up hardware and install educational software at Choix as a part of Intel's Education Service Corps (IESC), but how could the team install computing platforms and train faculty and students in the use of their new educational tools when there wasn't even reliable working electricity at Choix? The case examines the complicated history of Haiti (before and after the 2010 quake) and explores Intel's efforts to support global education through technology.

Excerpt

UVA-e-0385

Rev. May 15, 2013

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION IN RURAL HAITI:

INTEL AND L'ECOLE DE CHOIX

In the fall of 2011, John Cartwright was looking at a muddy construction site in Mirebalais, Haiti. Less than two years after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the country, Cartwright had traveled to this rural region of Haiti as part of a volunteer team of Intel Corporation (Intel) employees to support the installation of education hardware and software during the launch of a nonprofit school, l'Ecole de Choix (Choix). Choix's vision was to transform the educational opportunities available to rural Haitian children. Computer literacy and computer-based educational tools were a significant element of Choix's objective to provide a quality education for its students, making the school a promising partner for Intel's Education Service Corps (IESC). If the mission of the IESC were strictly charitable, Cartwright's task would be daunting enough. But the infrastructure around him was still in postearthquake shambles. How would his team install computing platforms and train faculty and students without a completed building, let alone working electricity?

The challenges that Cartwright faced when Intel partnered with nonprofit organizations such as Choix were also informed by Intel's broader vision for the IESC program, which involved both business strategy and its corporate social mission. Julie Clugage, founder of the IESC, described these objectives in terms of a “triple win.” For projects to be successful, they had to result in a business “win”: their execution had to be cost-effective, requiring limited financial investment by Intel, and their success should advance Intel's business strategy of raising the company's visibility and reputation in emerging market areas. The projects also aimed to produce a human resources “win” for Intel, as volunteer employees brought their enthusiasm and any new insights they had gained in the field back to the company after their IESC deployments. Finally, successful projects provided a “win” to nonprofit partner organizations and to the communities they served by providing high-quality learning technology tailored to local needs and sustainable over the long term.

. . .

Keywords: education, Haiti, business ethics, stakeholder management, Intel, poverty, corporate social strategy, corporate social responsibility, non-profit, technology

Suggested Citation

Werhane, Patricia H. and Albert, Pauline and Archer, Crina and Hartman, Laura P. and Mead, Jenny, Transforming Education in Rural Haiti: Intel and L'Ecole De Choix. Darden Case No. UVA-E-0385, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2974184 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2974184

Patricia H. Werhane (Contact Author)

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States
434-924-4840 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/faculty/werhane.htm

Pauline Albert

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

Crina Archer

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

Laura P. Hartman

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

Jenny Mead

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

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