[sf-lug] GNU Project renews focus on free software in education

[jim]

<The following is excerpted from a FSF info email> 

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Monday, January 30, 2012 
The GNU Project today announced the relaunch of its worldwide
volunteer-led effort to bring free software to educational institutions
of all levels. The new effort is based at 
http://www.gnu.org/education

Present cases of educational institutions around the world who are
successfully using and teaching free software.
* Show examples of how free programs are being used by educational
institutions to improve the learning and teaching processes.
* Publish articles on the various aspects involved in the use of free
software by educational institutions.
* Maintain a dialogue with teachers, students and administrators of
educational institutions to listen to their difficulties and provide
support.
* Keep in contact with other groups around the world committed to the
promotion of free software in education.
        
GNU and its host organization, the Free Software Foundation (FSF),
emphasize that free software principles are a prerequisite for any
educational environment that uses computers:
"Educational institutions of all levels should use and teach free
software because it is the only software that allows them to accomplish
their essential missions: to disseminate human knowledge and to prepare
students to be good members of their community. The source code and the
methods of free software are part of human knowledge. On the contrary,
proprietary software is secret, restricted knowledge, which is the
opposite of the mission of educational institutions. Free software
supports education, proprietary software forbids education."

In an article at 
http://fsf.org/blogs/community/gnu-education-website-relaunch
[project leader]Scilipoti adds insights about the project's organizing
philosophy, current contributors, and progress so far.

The Education Team...[is] looking for more volunteer contributors.
People who want to help...should contact 
education at gnu.org. 

Donate to the Free Software Foundation 
http://donate.fsf.org 

About Free and Open Source Software 
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html 

About the GNU OS and Linux 
http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html 

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