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SIT alum, Linda English, helps found LINGOS: A Consortium of NGOs Sharing Best Practices
BRATTLEBORO, VT (March 14, 2007) -- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often pay big bucks for program implementation, including the purchase of eLearning software and materials. Linda English, alum of SIT's Program in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management in 2002 (PIM 62), decided to address this issue head-on by co-founding LINGOS (Learning for International Non-Governmental Organizations).
Linda learned of the need for a consortium like LINGOS while working for Save the Children as the eLearning Manager. With limited budget and resources to implement programs, she sought ways to secure in-kind donations from software companies for eLearning capacities. Linda realized however, that her experience was not unique and decided to found, together with a number of people, Learning for International Non-Governmental Organizations (LINGOS).
In her work with LINGOS, Linda focuses on connecting learning technologies that support humanitarian workers with international NGOs.LINGOS is a consortium of member agencies that works to drive down costs of providing eLearning by securing donations from the software industry.The 14 NGO agency members participating in the LINGOS consortium include Care International, World Vision, Save the Children, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer International, Catholic Relief Services, among others.
The consortium pulled together share best practices and answer such questions as: How did Catholic Relief Services do orientation training for the tsunami? How did Care International train people on Monitoring and Evaluation, and how could a user get a hold of this information? Was Habitat for Humanity successful with their leadership training? Essentially, this small group wanted to improve the performance, lower the cost, and increase the effectiveness of international non-governmental organizations.
After a successful start securing donations for eLearning capacities, LINGOS received numerous requests from agencies interested in joining. As a result, LINGOS has an ever-expaniding pool of volunteers and interns to help the growing organization. Today, LINGOs and its member agencies provide humanitarian relief and development assistance to over 750 million people around the world.
LINGOs does this by sharing learning resources, knowledge, courseware and other learning initiatives. LINGOS has partnerships content companies that provide member agencies with training on relevant topics such as leadership, project management and IT. The companies also facilitate the involvement of LINGOS members in conferences and other professional development opportunities. The ultimate goal of the collaboration is for international NGOs to better deploy learning technologies.
LINGOS is a virtually based organization that operates a Community of Practice website. The website provides a venue for learning professionals from international NGOs to share information on course availability, best practices in learning, sources for learning products, links to sites on learning and development issues and other topics of common interest. It also provides a venue for members to engage in dialogue, request assistance and collaborate on joint projects.
For more information, visit: http://www.lingos.org/
Learn more about World Learning:
The Experiment in International Living
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SIT Graduate Institute
International Development Programs
World Learning works globally to enhance the capacity and commitment of individuals, institutions, and communities to create a more peaceful and just world through education, training and exchange programs.
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