The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : AMD launches learning lab in school

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Thursday, Feb 07, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

AMD launches learning lab in school

Staff Reporter

450 students will be taught the basics of using a computer

Learning the ropes: Students of Government Girls High School, Marredpally, operating a computer while Adrian Hartog, senior vice-president and general manager of Global Consumer Electronics Group and president of AMD, Canada, looks on.

Hyderabad: For students of Government Girls High School in Marredpally, it is the beginning of learning something they have never dreamt of. Chip manufacturing company, AMD, and American India Foundation (AIF) launched a learning lab on the school premises on Wednesday to impart computer education to students.

The lab was launched under AMD’s 50x15 initiative that aims at connecting 50 per cent of the world’s population to the Internet by 2015.

Dream come true

“The lab is a dream come true for a lot of students as most of us come from needy families and cannot afford to spend money on computer education,” says Y. Roja, a 9th class student. “We look forward to the computer class,” she adds.

The very presence of computers in their school has generated a lot of enthusiasm among students. “We have started learning the basics of the computer and also are being taught Windows Excel, Word and Power point,” beams S. Swathi, Roja’s classmate.

Over 450 students will be taught the basics of using a computer in the lab that consists of 14 computers equipped with AMD Athlon Dual Core processor and a Windows Vista operating system. Students of 10th class will spend two hours a week in the lab where as other students will have classes for over three to four hours a week, said school principal Helen Sumitra.

Change in lives

“The Learning Lab model aims at bringing a positive change in the lives of the students of Government Girls High School. Moreover, if this model has positive results, we may open more labs in schools to impart computer education,” says Adrian Hartog, senior vice-president and general manager Global Consumer Electronics Group and president, AMD, Canada.

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