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| In their book, The Power of Full Engagement, authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz write that, of all the places where we draw inspiration, the office ranks at the bottom. But for Rodrigo Baggio, inspiration came in a dream. | In their book, The Power of Full Engagement, authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz write that, of all the places where we draw inspiration, the office ranks at the bottom. But for Rodrigo Baggio, inspiration came in a dream. |
| "In my dream, I saw young people using technology to bring about change in their lives," Brazilian-born Baggio says. "My experiences told me that technology was a tool that could be used for empowerment, citizenship rights and change. In mid-90s Brazil, and Latin America at large, this was a pioneering position to take." | "In my dream, I saw young people using technology to bring about change in their lives," Brazilian-born Baggio says. "My experiences told me that technology was a tool that could be used for empowerment, citizenship rights and change. In mid-90s Brazil, and Latin America at large, this was a pioneering position to take." |
| Undaunted, Baggio left his tech consulting job to found the first Center for Digital Inclusion (CDI) in 1995. CDI is now a global group of learning centres that teach disadvantaged citizens how to use ICT to solve local problems. Focus is not placed on the tech tools themselves, but on the greater challenge to make technology useful within specific contexts of marginalised groups. | Undaunted, Baggio left his tech consulting job to found the first Center for Digital Inclusion (CDI) in 1995. CDI is now a global group of learning centres that teach disadvantaged citizens how to use ICT to solve local problems. Focus is not placed on the tech tools themselves, but on the greater challenge to make technology useful within specific contexts of marginalised groups. |
| In 1995, drugs, trafficking and poverty ruled Rio de Janiero's streets; learning to use laptops was the last thing on most people's minds. But Baggio found this apathy troublesome. He knew how vital tech literacy would be for Brazilians in both short and long terms, and aimed to bring it beyond Brazil's elite to those who could use tech to solve communal troubles. | In 1995, drugs, trafficking and poverty ruled Rio de Janiero's streets; learning to use laptops was the last thing on most people's minds. But Baggio found this apathy troublesome. He knew how vital tech literacy would be for Brazilians in both short and long terms, and aimed to bring it beyond Brazil's elite to those who could use tech to solve communal troubles. |
| A pilot project that aimed to exchange knowledge between children from different incomes failed. Among participants, Baggio noticed the same parallels of wealth and engagement that he saw in wider communities. So he used his own network to mobilise companies to donate computers, before opening CDI's first community centre in the Santa Marta favela, one of Rio's most violent areas, in March 1995. By December of that year, 15 centres had opened across Rio. Today, 870 digital inclusion spaces exist worldwide. | A pilot project that aimed to exchange knowledge between children from different incomes failed. Among participants, Baggio noticed the same parallels of wealth and engagement that he saw in wider communities. So he used his own network to mobilise companies to donate computers, before opening CDI's first community centre in the Santa Marta favela, one of Rio's most violent areas, in March 1995. By December of that year, 15 centres had opened across Rio. Today, 870 digital inclusion spaces exist worldwide. |
| For Baggio, the connection between non-profit and for-profit is vital. The non-profit work devising corporate social responsibility strategies for communities that need them is funded by corporates, including Barclays and Google, to develop high impact social solutions. This redirects net profits back into CDI's ecosystem, and yields positive return by funding local growth. | For Baggio, the connection between non-profit and for-profit is vital. The non-profit work devising corporate social responsibility strategies for communities that need them is funded by corporates, including Barclays and Google, to develop high impact social solutions. This redirects net profits back into CDI's ecosystem, and yields positive return by funding local growth. |
| It is opportunity that Baggio could have used himself. Despite receiving a PC at age 12 through his father's work with mainframe computers, dyslexia left his teachers at a loss to assist his learning needs. He left university at the age of 19 to start his own business – but not before the catalyst that would fuel his work in the UK. | It is opportunity that Baggio could have used himself. Despite receiving a PC at age 12 through his father's work with mainframe computers, dyslexia left his teachers at a loss to assist his learning needs. He left university at the age of 19 to start his own business – but not before the catalyst that would fuel his work in the UK. |
| "During the years that I was studying social sciences, between 1986 and 1988, I read about the Industrial Revolution in the UK, and learning about that era made me realise that I was also growing up in a new, unique era – the technological age," Baggio says. "It was around this time that I began thinking how technology could best be used, which is to say in an ethical and responsible manner. When used so, I believe technology to be an incredibly powerful tool, one that can change the world." | "During the years that I was studying social sciences, between 1986 and 1988, I read about the Industrial Revolution in the UK, and learning about that era made me realise that I was also growing up in a new, unique era – the technological age," Baggio says. "It was around this time that I began thinking how technology could best be used, which is to say in an ethical and responsible manner. When used so, I believe technology to be an incredibly powerful tool, one that can change the world." |
| In 2008, Baggio oversaw the creation of CDI Europe in London. The low-cost education model that had helped CDI thrive in Brazil allowed Baggio and his European team to focus on training course conveners how to teach the programme's five-step methodology. From problem definition through to market research, the programme concludes with students building and presenting their own apps. In September 2009, Iris Lapinski completed a feasibility study with the CDI team. Funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Apps for Good was born. | In 2008, Baggio oversaw the creation of CDI Europe in London. The low-cost education model that had helped CDI thrive in Brazil allowed Baggio and his European team to focus on training course conveners how to teach the programme's five-step methodology. From problem definition through to market research, the programme concludes with students building and presenting their own apps. In September 2009, Iris Lapinski completed a feasibility study with the CDI team. Funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Apps for Good was born. |
| Inspired by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, CDI believes that learning should be an active dialogue between students and teachers – a contrast to the UK's focus on standardised tests. Apps for Good inspires students aged 11-18 across the UK to plan and execute projects that address issues in their lives and communities. With financial support from Dell, Apps for Good launched in March 2010, and earlier this year, they were one of three recipients of a £500,000 Global Impact Award on behalf of Google. Apps for Good participants also earned mentoring from Google staff. | Inspired by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, CDI believes that learning should be an active dialogue between students and teachers – a contrast to the UK's focus on standardised tests. Apps for Good inspires students aged 11-18 across the UK to plan and execute projects that address issues in their lives and communities. With financial support from Dell, Apps for Good launched in March 2010, and earlier this year, they were one of three recipients of a £500,000 Global Impact Award on behalf of Google. Apps for Good participants also earned mentoring from Google staff. |
| Apps for Good aims to make tech literacy a tenet of UK education, empowering students to relate tech to their unique lives, improve their communities and learn skills from teachers and corporate mentors that increase employment options. It is part of CDI's global impact; as of March 2013, CDI has had an impact on 1.54 million at-risk youth and adults, with 92,084 people benefiting from their programmes in 2012 alone. There are 870 digital inclusion spaces across the 13 countries in which CDI has a presence. | |
| Is it ambitious to ask a teenager to create, research, launch and market a self-designed app? Baggio doesn't think so. He believes this "virtuous cycle" will propel global growth by teaching innovation at local levels, and sees alignment between non-profits and for-profits as the catalyst to create meaningful brands. | Is it ambitious to ask a teenager to create, research, launch and market a self-designed app? Baggio doesn't think so. He believes this "virtuous cycle" will propel global growth by teaching innovation at local levels, and sees alignment between non-profits and for-profits as the catalyst to create meaningful brands. |
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| • This article was amended on 23 September 2013 to clarify CDI impact statistics using figures from only a report in 2013, rather than a combination of 2012 and 2013 figures, as previously reported | |
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