The Director

CURRICULUM VITAE

Abdoulaye TOURE
Born in 1955 in Mechké, Senegal
Married with 4 children

Professional Experience:
1974 –1980: Assistant Instructor at Boki, Podor, and Meckhé 1.
1981 –1985: Tenured Instructor at Meckhé 1.
1985 –1987: In charge of the schools at Ndankh and Ndouloumadji Founébé
1987 –1992: Director of the schools at Sinthiane, Synthiou-Garba and Ourossogui; Construction of the first solar oven, December 24, 1990.
1992 –1996: Director of the school at Gouyar Sarr (Louga)
Continued experiments with solar ovens.
1996 –1998: Director of the school at El H Bara Guèye(ex Hann-Pêcheur)
Creation of a teaching program on Solar Energy.
1998 –1999 : Appointed to the IDEN of Dakar-Banlieue for promoting the instruction of science and technology in primary schools. Experiments with the Solar Energy Module (Module Energie Solaire, MES) within the framework of experiments of the project « La main à la pâte ».
1999 –2001: Director of the pilot school of Diamalaye-Yoff. Creation and testing of the projet "Préservation à l’école de la Tradition aux moyens des Technologies Emergentes" (PALETTE).
April 2002: On call at the MEN.
January 24, 2002: Creation of the Foundation "AMIS DU SOLEIL" (Friends of the Sun).
December 12, 2003: President of the Commision on Renewable Energies of the Ecovillages Network of Senegal.

Miscellaneous
Grand Prize CIPEA for teh creation of an enterprise1998
Grand Prize of the President of the Republic for the Promotion of Technological Innovation and Invention in 1999 (Louga Region)
First Prize of the TECHNOFOIRE of Tambacounda in 2001
Participation in numerous inquiries, seminars, and studies on education, the environment, and renewable energies.

The PALETTE Project

Entirely financed by American sponsors, the PALETTE program includes a course for teachers about energy, technical instructions for simply solar apparatuses, and an educational technique for introducing computer technology in elementary schools as a part of a cultural preservation and rejuvenation program. Its principal objective is to improve the education of students so as to prepare them to meet future challenges while still preserving their cultural heritage.

PALETTE emerged from the meeting of two different societies—Senegalese and American—through the work of volunteers in Yoff. It also represents the meeting of experienced and motivated people of different generations, backgrounds, and nationalities:

1) A Senegalese primary school director, field researcher, and ecologist with 27 years of professional experience in 11 different locations throughout the country, Adboulaye TOURE, who brought his project to introduce science and technology in primary schools.

2) A retired American university professor who had been involved in numerous sustainable development projects in various countries, Marian ZEITLIN, who brought her virtual library project.

3) An American university student, highly ambitious and motivated, Jascha HOFFMAN, who brought his project to collect traditional Lebou stories.

4) Successful trials in 1999-2000 to promote the teaching of science and technology in primaries.

5) The progressive disappearance of traditional Lebou culture with rapidly increasing urbanization and the shortage of existing cultural records in academic libraries.

6) The growing predominance of computer technology in all sectors, a trend which necessitates a modification in educational methods. A strong education in computer use is essential if children are to evolve and succeed in the world of high technology.

In terms of support, our sponsors have promised an annual financial support of 1,500,000 CFA and permanent material support. They have just provided us with 12 PC computers, 3 PC laptops, 3 Macintosh laptops, and a selection of software for both the project and the schools taking part in the experiment. 44 computers are due to arrive in May of 2003.