UNESCO honours projects in Belgium and US for using ICT to enhance learning

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognized the Claroline open source eLearning platform project, based in Belgium, and Curriki, a global education community based in the United States, for their use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

The two projects were selected as the winners of this year’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, on the recommendation of an international jury and from among 68 projects in 51 countries and one non-governmental organization (NGO).

Launched in 2005, the prize rewards the projects and best practices of individuals, institutions and NGOs in using ICT to enhance learning, teaching and overall educational performance.

Mr. Matsuura will present the prize – a diploma and $25,000 each – to the winners at a ceremony at UNESCO’s Paris headquarters on 19 December.

Honourable mentions will also be presented to Sésamath Project – Association Sésamath (France), a comprehensive mathematics curriculum honoured for its high quality, and to Enciclomedia – Instituto Latinoamericano de la Comunicación Educativa (Mexico), an easy-to-use platform installed in 145,000 primary school classrooms that provides digital multimedia resources.

Also today, the agency designated Belizean musician and singer Andy Palacio as a UNESCO Artist for Peace.

One of his country’s most popular musicians, Mr. Palacio is also one of the most prominent defenders of the regional Garifuna culture and traditions.

With his band the Garifuna Collective he has created a unique musical style known as Punta Rock, based on Garifuna rhythms. Mr. Palacio also sings in the Garifuna language, which blends many linguistic influences and which UNESCO declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.