Dell opens solar-powered classroom at Waverley Girls' High

Part of Dell’s 2020 Legacy of Good Plan, which aims to put its technology and expertise to work where it can do the most good for people and the planet, Dell solar-powered Learning Labs provide direct technology access to more than 5,000 underprivileged students in communities where technology infrastructure is limited. This specific partnership at Waverley Girls’ High is just one of the projects on which Dell and Sci-Bono have collaborated. Not only does this school struggle to compete and offer the same facilities as surrounding private schools, but it continues to strive to encourage and prepare girls to enter the IT industry.

Computer-empowered learning space

One of 11 labs globally, the Learning Labs are constructed inside standard shipping containers, using Dell’s Wyse thin client computers and Dell PowerEdge Servers to create a computer-empowered learning space. Solar panels take care of power requirements, while the computers use cloud technologies to run the latest Windows Office systems. The setup is also highly efficient, with each workstation requiring less than 7W of power, as opposed to 180W for a typical PC.

“Providing world-class education is an ongoing challenge across the developing world, including Africa, South America and Asia. The stakes are too high – education is too important – which is why Dell takes this challenge very seriously,” says Natasha Reuben, head of transformation at Dell South Africa.

“Giving back to the communities it calls home has always been core to Dell’s value system. We believe that access to education and technology is not a luxury, but a necessity.”