The ABP was developed with the aim of impacting two existing problems, the first is the need for quality laboratory equipment in Caribbean schools and the second is the need to reduce the impact of electronic waste (e-waste).
E-Waste:
Every year a steadily increasing percentage of garbage which is produced is electronic waste (e-waste). E-waste is considered to be discarded electronic devices and components as well as substances involved in their manufacture or use.
There are two significant facts about e-waste:
- In any given landfill e-waste would represent between 5%-10% of the daily waste but contributes more than 70% toward toxic pollution.
- A significant portion of discard electronic devices contain some subsection which is perfectly functional AND can be repurposed/recycled.
Education:
Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Today it is very difficult for any individual to function without some form of technology savvy. The citizen of tomorrow needs to understand the impact of technology on daily living and what drives this technology (from design straight through to societal impact). The great challenge is how to expose children to Technology and Engineering (T+E) based learning experiences in the classroom in a sustainable manner. The teaching of T+E principles requires heavy experimentation and practice of the concepts in order to understand their application. However many schools lack facilities and equipment to support practical exercises.
ABP Initiative:
The ATX Bench-top Power supply (ABP) aims to repurpose discarded computer power supplies in order to build functional bench top power supplies which can be used in secondary schools for the teaching of STEM subjects such as Physics.