LearnLink Projects: PARAGUAY

Community Learning Centers (CLCs) in Asunción

The Municipality of Asunción, Paraguay, is seeking to provide basic education, communication, and information services to less advantaged citizens by establishing 12 Community Learning Centers (CLCs) in public buildings and Municipal centers throughout city. The CLCs, known locally as Amic@s (Aulas municipales de información, comunicación y aprendizaje), build on the idea of simple business centers that offer a variety of electronic and communication services. The CLCs in Asunción, however, emphasize the educational and civic development benefits of computers and communications technology, specifically their ability to increase access to basic education resources, life-long learning opportunities, and information and services from municipal sources.

Funding was provided by USAID’s Joint Action Implementation Fund for the first six Centers, followed by funding from USAID/Asunción for an additional six. All of the CLCs are expected to be open and operational by September 1999. LearnLink’s CLC Resident Coordinator, Sergio Aranda, is working closely with the Municipality to provide training, strengthen the Municipality’s capacity to manage and sustain this activity, and develop partnerships with NGOs, educational institutions and the private sector.

The first of Asunción’s CLCs was inaugurated on January 21, 1998, in a ceremony attended by Dr. MartÍn Burt, the Mayor of Asunción, U.S. Ambassador Maura Harty, officials from USAID and LearnLink staff. Located in the city’s Municipal Center adjacent to the main bus terminal, this CLC provides residents convenient access to the facility. Visitors can explore electronic resources for education, including software programs and Spanish language reference CD-ROMs, and they have been able to access municipal voting information. Introductory computer training is offered to municipal officials and residents, and local students, NGOs and neighborhood street children have access to the Internet, where they access educational resources, browse Web sites and chat with people around the world.

The second CLC, opened in August 1998, is located in a public library in a renovated park, a popular area of Asunción. This Center’s location is considered prime because of its high visibility, easy public access, and it association with the library. Each air conditioned center has three multimedia computers, a telephone line for Internet access, a printer with fax and copier capabilities, a diverse selection of educational and application software, and a TV/VCR unit with educational videotapes.

To date, five CLCs have opened, with seven more scheduled to launch in the next year. In each case, the CLCs have taken on the personality of the neighborhood in which it is located, and the services provided have been adapted to meet local needs.

Broad public interest in the Centers has led local and international businesses to consider sponsoring essential services and providing needed hardware. Cultivating public-private partnerships is crucial to the long-term sustainability of this initiative.

The CLC activity in Asunción grew out of a Joint Action Implementation Fund (JAIF) proposal submitted by G/HCD/BELS and the Urban Programs Office in the Global Bureau Environment Center (G/ENV/UP). The JAIF was made available by the Administrator’s office to encourage innovative activities in support of urban initiatives and Global Bureau Center collaboration. The Community Learning Center activity in Asunción is the first of these JAIF-funded activities.

For more information, contact ict@aed.org