|
Global Grant Proposal Form for Project G-3866 Last updated by Rana Kanso <ranakanso@hotmail.com> on 17-Mar-26 Project Title Empowering minds in Lebanon Type of Project [X] Humanitarian [ ] VTT [ ] Scholarship Primary Host Partner Information
Primary International Partner Information
Grant Host Committee
Grant International Committee
Do any of these committee members have potential conflict of interest? If so, please briefly explain. NO Tell us a little about your project. What are the main objectives of the project, and who will benefit from it? Project Overview In the Shahar region of Aley Caza - Mount Lebanon, 1,275 students are currently locked out of the modern economy by a 'double-displacement': they are physically present in classrooms, yet digitally excluded by a collapsing national energy grid and obsolete teaching methods. The Aley Educational Equity & Inclusion Initiative provides the missing 'technological scaffolding' required to restore educational opportunity. By deploying a total of 36KW of sustainable solar energy—distributed between the Basateen Public School (16KW) and the Lebanese University, Abey Branch (20KW)—we are bridging the gap between student potential and digital reality. Through a tripartite model of infrastructure resilience, high-performance digital labs, and intensive pedagogical training, this project transforms four vulnerable institutions into a connected regional ecosystem—ensuring that the next generation of Shahar’s youth are prepared for the modern workforce, regardless of the national infrastructure crisis. Main Objectives Pedagogical Excellence: To empower 30 Master Educators through an intensive 8-day training program focused on Active Learning methodologies and Differentiated Instruction. This ensures teachers are equipped to facilitate student-centered, engaging classrooms that cater to diverse learning needs. Foundational & Digital Mastery: To provide high-quality Phonetic and Literacy materials, along with 20 high-performance computing units, ensuring students have the practical resources required for academic promotion and workforce entry. Infrastructure Resilience: To install 36KW of sustainable solar power (16KW for Basateen School and 20KW for Lebanese University Abey), guaranteeing 100% uptime for digital learning despite national grid failures. Physical Inclusivity & Retention: To rehabilitate 4 fully accessible bathrooms, removing the primary physical and social barriers that prevent Girls and Students with Disabilities (SwD) from consistent attendance. Beneficiaries The project directly serves 1,305 individuals across the full educational spectrum in the Shahar area of Aley: Students (1,275 total): This includes 250 elementary students (Basateen), 230 University students (LU Abey), 515 K-12 students (Abey Semi-free), and 280 vocational students. Educators (30 total): A specialized cohort of 30 teachers from these institutions who will undergo the 8-day intensive training to lead the transition toward active, inclusive learning in their respective schools. Which area of focus will this project support?
Which goals of this area of focus will your project support? - How will you measure your project impact?
Do you know who will collect information for monitoring and evaluation? -
Humanitarian Project The project is a clustered intervention focused on the Shahar area of the Aley Caza (Mount Lebanon). This geographic focus allows for a "hub and spoke" model of impact, where resources are shared across a concentrated community of students and educators. The intervention will be physically executed at the following four institutional sites: Elementary Public School of Basateen: Serving 250 primary students. Abey Semi-free School: A comprehensive K-12 institution serving 515 students across all age groups. Abey Vocational Semi-free School: Providing technical education to 280 students. Lebanese University (Abey Branch): Supporting 230 higher-education students. When will your project take place? The project has a scheduled duration of 9 months, commencing on 1 February 2026 and concluding on 31 October 2026. This timeline is strategically designed to complete heavy infrastructure work during the spring and teacher training during the summer, ensuring the project is fully operational for the start of the 2026-2027 academic year.
Cooperating Organization (Optional)
Why did you choose to partner with this organization and what will its role be? The partnership with these six entities was strategically designed to create a "Triple Helix" of support—combining governmental authority, regional academic excellence, specialized non-governmental expertise, and local school-level execution. This ensures the project is not just a donation of equipment, but a functional shift in how education is delivered in the Shahar region. 1. Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) Why: As the national governing body, their approval is required for any infrastructure work on public property. Partnering with them ensures the project's legality and integration into Lebanon’s national educational framework. Role: The MEHE will provide the official regulatory permits and authorization for the installation of the solar energy systems. Their role is to ensure the intervention meets national safety and technical standards. 2. Lebanese University - Abey Branch Why: As the only public university in the Shahar region, it serves as the essential higher-education anchor for the local population. Protecting its uptime is vital for the region’s long-term professional development. Role: The University will host the 20KW solar system and is responsible for incorporating these resilient energy facilities into its daily laboratory and research activities. 3. Knowledge Icon (NGO) Why: Knowledge Icon is a specialized educational NGO with a proven track record in pedagogical transformation and digital literacy. We chose to partner with them to ensure that the hardware investment is matched by high-quality human capital development. Role: Knowledge Icon will design and conduct the 8-day intensive professional residency for 30 educators. Their role includes performing the initial digital diagnostic assessments, delivering the curriculum on Active Learning and AI integration, and certifying the participants upon completion of their capstone projects. 4. Participating Schools (Basateen Public, Abey Semi-free, Abey Vocational) Why: These schools were specifically selected because they cater to the most vulnerable students in the Shahar region who have no alternative access to digital tools or consistent electricity. Role: These schools hold the most critical role: active pedagogical and social transformation. They are responsible for: Mandatory Digital Utilization: Ensuring that the newly installed solar power and computing units are fully integrated into the daily curriculum. Teacher Empowerment: Facilitating the participation of their educators in the Knowledge Icon training sessions. Sustained Inclusivity: Maintaining the 4 inclusive bathrooms to ensure a safe, dignified, and hygienic environment, which is proven to increase the retention of at-risk female students. Partners (Optional) List any other partner that will participate in this project. - Volunteer Travelers (Optional) Provide name, email of traveler(s). NA Describe this person's role in the project. NA Rotarian Participants Describe the role that host Rotarians will have in this project. The Service Project Committee of the Rotary Club of Aley (RCA) will be the primary body responsible for the planning, implementation, and long-term oversight of the project. The committee will ensure that every dollar of the grant is used effectively to benefit the most vulnerable students in the Shahar region. 1. Procurement and Regulatory Compliance Competitive Bidding: The Service Project Committee will manage the transparent procurement process. This includes soliciting three sealed bids for the 36KW solar systems and the bathroom rehabilitation, ensuring all vendors meet technical and ethical standards. Liaising with Authorities: Committee members will coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) to finalize the legal permissions required for solar installations at the public school and university sites. 2. Infrastructure and Technical Monitoring On-Site Supervision: The committee will conduct weekly site visits during the 9-month implementation phase. They will personally inspect the quality of the solar panel mounting, battery storage security, and the "inclusive" design features of the 4 rehabilitated bathrooms. Asset Tagging: To prevent misuse or loss, the committee will tag all 20 high-performance computing units and educational materials as Rotary-funded assets and record them in the schools’ official inventories. 3. Educational and Training Coordination Master Educator Logistics: The Service Project Committee will manage the logistics for the 8-day intensive Active Learning training. This includes scheduling sessions with the 30 educators from the participating schools and ensuring that the training environment is equipped with the necessary digital tools. The "Active Use" Audit: Rotarians will meet monthly with the school principals to verify that the solar power and digital facilities are being used daily as part of the core curriculum, rather than remaining idle. 4. Stewardship and Evaluation Financial Management: The club’s treasurer, as a member of the committee, will manage the dedicated project bank account and maintain a comprehensive ledger of all invoices and receipts for auditing purposes. Impact Reporting: The committee will collect and verify attendance and literacy data from the three schools and the Lebanese University. This data will be used to generate the progress and final reports required by The Rotary Foundation. Describe the role that international Rotarians will have in this project. The International Rotarians will serve as active partners in governance, technical advisory, and financial stewardship. Their involvement provides an essential layer of professional oversight and cross-border collaboration. 1. Financial Stewardship and Remote Audit Dual-Audit System: The International Partner will perform a quarterly review of all financial records, including bank statements and original invoices for the solar installations and computing hardware. This ensures the budget is managed in 100% compliance with The Rotary Foundation’s (TRF) regulations. Fund Management: They will oversee the transfer of Global Grant funds and DDF (District Designated Funds) to the project-specific account in Lebanon, ensuring all international banking protocols are met. 2. Technical and Quality Assurance Engineering Review: International Rotarians with expertise in renewable energy will review the technical specifications for the 36KW total solar systems. They will provide feedback on the durability of the lithium battery brands and inverter efficiencies to ensure the equipment lasts well beyond the 3-year monitoring period. IT Procurement Advice: They will assist the Service Project Committee in reviewing the specifications for the 20 high-performance laptops, 10 desktops, and 5 smart boards to ensure the hardware is compatible with the "Active Learning" software goals. 3. Pedagogical Consultation Active Learning Benchmarking: The International Partner will consult on the 8-day intensive teacher training curriculum. By sharing digital literacy benchmarks and interactive teaching strategies from their own educational systems, they help the host club optimize the training for the 30 Master Educators. 4. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Support Virtual Site Inspections: Through regular video conferences and shared digital folders, the International Rotarians will review progress photos of the 4 inclusive bathrooms and the installation of the smart boards. Reporting Partnership: They will co-author the progress and final reports for TRF, analyzing the data collected from the 1,275 students to quantify the project's success in increasing literacy and retention. What is the budget for this grant?
Tell us about the funding you have secured for your project.
Humanitarian Projects - Project Planning Describe the community needs that your project will address. Community Needs Assessment: Shahar Region, Aley Caza The project addresses three interconnected crises that have paralyzed the educational journey for 1,275 vulnerable students in the Shahar area. 1. Severe "Energy Poverty" and Digital Exclusion Since the 2021 economic collapse, the national power grid provides less than 2–4 hours of electricity per day. In the Shahar mountains, schools are often left in total darkness. The Need: Without consistent power, the digital labs at the Lebanese University and the Vocational School are unusable. Students are graduating with theoretical knowledge but zero hands-on digital literacy. The Solution: The installation of 36KW of solar power across the cluster provides the "energy independence" required to run the new smart boards, 20 laptops, and 10 desktops daily. 2. Deteriorating Sanitation and Lack of Inclusivity The existing sanitation facilities at the Basateen Public School and Abey School are in a state of advanced decay. More importantly, they are not ADA-compliant. The Need: Students with physical disabilities are often forced to stay home because the schools lack accessible bathrooms. Furthermore, poor sanitation is a leading cause of school dropout among adolescent girls in the region. The Solution: The rehabilitation of 4 inclusive bathrooms (2 in Basateen, 2 in Abey) provides a safe, dignified, and accessible environment that directly supports student retention and gender equity. 3. Outdated Pedagogical Methods (The "Skill Gap") The Lebanese educational system traditionally relies on passive, lecture-based learning. In a region like Shahar, which serves the most vulnerable populations, this "top-down" approach fails to engage at-risk youth or provide them with marketable skills. The Need: Teachers lack the tools and training to facilitate "Active Learning"—a method proven to increase retention and critical thinking. The Solution: By providing 5 smart boards and an 8-day intensive training for 30 educators, we transition the classroom from passive listening to active, technology-driven participation. How did your project team identify these needs. The project team conducted a comprehensive four-month community assessment to ensure the intervention was aligned with the actual requirements of the Shahar region. The assessment utilized a multi-stakeholder approach to capture a 360-degree view of the educational landscape. 1. Stakeholder Interviews & Political Endorsement The team conducted in-depth interviews with the primary civic leaders of the region: Mayor Ghassan Rafeh (Mayor of Basateen) and Mayor Haitham Hamzi (Mayor of Abey). These leaders confirmed that the lack of consistent energy and the deteriorating state of public infrastructure are the primary barriers to regional development and student retention. 2. Educator Focus Groups & Leadership Consultations Focus Groups: We held structured focus group interviews with 17 educators across the four institutions. These sessions revealed a deep frustration with "dark classrooms" and a lack of modern pedagogical tools. Principal Interviews: Interviews with the four school and university principals provided the technical data regarding the failure of the national grid and the specific accessibility barriers within their current sanitation facilities. 3. Direct Observation & Student Voice School Site Visits: The team performed multiple visits during active school days to observe classroom conditions, energy usage patterns, and the state of the bathrooms first-hand. Student Surveys: To capture the beneficiary perspective, we surveyed 35 students (aged 14–19). Their feedback highlighted that digital literacy is their highest priority for future employability, yet they currently lack the "uptime" to practice these skills. 4. Data Analysis & Transcription All interviews and focus group sessions were transcribed and translated into English for rigorous analysis. The results were clear: without a transition to renewable energy and a modernization of teaching methods (Active Learning), the "vulnerability gap" for these students would continue to widen. How were members of the benefiting community involved in finding solutions. The solution—a clustered solar and digital intervention emerged directly from a participatory design process involving the people who live and work in the Shahar region every day. 1. Collaborative Solution Mapping with Local Leadership Through consultations with Mayor Ghassan Rafeh (Basateen) and Mayor Haitham Hamzi (Abey), the project team identified that sporadic "one-off" donations were failing. The Mayors advocated for a cluster-based approach, suggesting that the Public School, the Semi-free schools, and the Lebanese University be treated as a single educational ecosystem. This led to the decision to install 36KW of solar power shared across the hub to ensure the entire region’s educational "backbone" remains powered. 2. Pedagogical Co-Design with Educators During the focus group interviews with 17 educators, the teachers explicitly rejected the idea of just receiving hardware without training. They identified that their primary struggle was not just "no electricity," but a lack of modern engagement tools. Their Contribution: The educators helped define the scope of the 8-day intensive Active Learning training, insisting that it be practical and based on the smart boards and laptops provided, rather than purely theoretical. 3. Student-Led Prioritization The student survey (35 students, ages 14–19) was pivotal in choosing the specific hardware. The Feedback: Students expressed that they felt "left behind" by the digital economy. They specifically requested high-performance computing units (15 for the Vocational School and 5 for Basateen) that could handle modern software, rather than basic tablets. Inclusion: Students with mobility challenges highlighted the "hidden" barrier of inaccessible bathrooms, which led directly to the inclusion of the 4 inclusive bathroom rehabilitations in the project budget. 4. Technical Validation by School Principals The principals of the four institutions worked with our technical team to map out the exact placement of the solar panels and the 10 desktops at the University. They provided the historical energy usage data and identified the most secure locations for the equipment, ensuring the community takes responsibility for the safeguarding of assets from day one. How were community members involved in planning the project. The genesis of this project was not a Rotary initiative, but a direct plea from the community. The leadership of the Lebanese University and the local school principals reached out to the Rotary Club of Aley as a last resort. Following years of hyper-inflation and the withdrawal of state support from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), these institutions found themselves in a structural "blind spot": because Mount Lebanon is not statistically classified as a "poor area," it has been excluded from the international aid and recovery funds that flow to other regions. 1. Verification of the "Infrastructure Collapse" Our first step was to meet with Mayor Ghassan Rafeh (Basateen) and Mayor Haitham Hamzi (Abey). They provided a sobering technical assessment: due to the economic crisis, municipal budgets have evaporated. They described their schools as "dilapidated"—functioning without reliable power, heating, or modern sanitation. This political and civic endorsement confirmed that the "educational gap" between these public students and their private-school peers was no longer just about grades, but about the fundamental ability to access a conducive learning environment. 2. Identifying the "Pedagogical Gap" via Focus Groups To move beyond infrastructure, we conducted two intensive focus group interviews with 17 educators (divided into groups of 9 and 8). These teachers articulated a profound professional crisis: they are tasked with preparing students for a digital world while teaching in the dark with obsolete methods. They identified that the lack of professional development and technology integration was leaving their students years behind their peers. Their input directly shaped the 8-day intensive Active Learning training, ensuring the grant would address the "skills gap" alongside the "power gap." 3. Student-Centered Prioritization A survey of 35 students (ages 14–19) provided the final layer of our "solution mapping." Their responses shifted the project’s focus toward High-Performance Computing and Inclusive Sanitation. They expressed that without digital tools, their vocational and university degrees would be functionally obsolete upon graduation. 4. Strategic Triage: Addressing the Most Critical Needs Our community assessment was so thorough that it revealed needs beyond the scope of a single Global Grant. We documented three critical "unmet needs" that we could not include in this specific technological and energy intervention: Physical Infrastructure: The dire need for new desks and chairs at Basateen Elementary. Climate Control: The lack of sustainable heating solutions for the harsh mountain winters. Social Access: Transportation for extremely vulnerable students facing dropout due to travel costs. By focusing this grant strictly on the Energy-Digital-Sanitation cluster, we are providing the "technological scaffolding" the community requested. We have openly communicated to the Mayors and Principals that while this grant solves the power and training crisis, the Rotary Club of Aley remains committed to seeking separate local or District funding to address the furniture, heating, and transportation gaps. Humanitarian Projects - Project Implementation Summarize each step of your project's implementation.
Will you work in coordination with any related initiative in the community? If yes, briefly describe the other initiatives and how they relate to this project. If no, please explain. Are local initiatives not addressing these needs? Or, if they are, why did you decide not to work with them? 1. Coordination with Community Initiatives Yes, this project operates in strategic alignment with national and local frameworks to ensure we are accelerating existing educational goals rather than duplicating efforts. We are coordinating with the Lebanese Ministry of Education (MEHE) and the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) to ensure our digital infrastructure supports the national "Madristi" digital learning platform. While the government provides curriculum content, the Shahar region faces a critical "last-mile" gap: the lack of stable energy and modern hardware. Our project provides the solar energy backbone and high-performance computing units required to make these national resources functional. Furthermore, we utilize a "Hub and Spoke" model by coordinating with the Abey Community Center (ACC). While the schools provide the formal academic setting, the ACC acts as the regional social hub, allowing for shared digital resource management. We have confirmed through our assessment that no other organizations are providing this holistic "Energy-Hardware-Pedagogy" ecosystem. Local initiatives are currently fragmented—often providing only temporary energy or short-term training—whereas our project builds a permanent, interconnected foundation for long-term regional development. Please describe the training, community outreach, or educational programs this project will include. The educational core of this project is a three-tiered intervention designed for sustainable impact: Professional Residency (Training): In partnership with the NGO Knowledge Icon, we will conduct an 8-day intensive residency for 30 educators. This transitions teachers from "lecturers" to "facilitators" of 21st-century learning. The curriculum—based on our diagnostic needs assessment—covers Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and AI-integrated lesson delivery. It concludes with teacher-led capstone presentations of redesigned, tech-enabled curricula. Educational Programs (Students): Students will participate in a "Digital Literacy & Agency Pathway," utilizing the new labs to gain functional skills in coding and AI ethics. Simultaneously, we are launching an Inclusive Health & Hygiene Program linked to the rehabilitated sanitation facilities, specifically supporting adolescent girls and students with disabilities to ensure school retention. Community Outreach (The Public): Coordinated with the ACC, we will launch a "Shahar Centers of Excellence" media campaign to restore public trust in local education. This includes quarterly "Open Lab" days where parents and community members can engage with the new technology and attend seminars on digital safety and inclusive education. How were these needs identified? The identification of project needs was the result of a rigorous, four-month Rotary Community Assessment conducted between [Insert Months/Year]. The team utilized a multi-modal approach to capture a 360-degree view of the educational landscape in the Shahar region, moving beyond anecdotal evidence to gather high-integrity, actionable data through five strategic pillars. To ensure accuracy and inclusivity, all interviews were conducted in Arabic, then formally transcribed and translated into English for project documentation. • Principal Interview Protocol: We conducted a formal, 9-point structured interview with Ms. Sanaa Rafeh, Principal of Basateen Public School. This interview was pivotal in validating our findings, as Ms. Rafeh provided direct testimony on the devastating correlation between "energy poverty" and rising student absenteeism, confirming the need for a holistic intervention that combines infrastructure with intensive pedagogical support. • Stakeholder Mapping & Civic Endorsement: The project team conducted separate, semi-structured interviews with primary civic leaders, including Mayor Ghassan Rafeh (Basateen) and Mayor Haitham Hamzi (Abey). These leaders provided administrative data confirming that the national grid now provides less than 2-4 hours of electricity per day, identifying "energy poverty" as the systemic root of regional educational decline. • Educator Focus Groups & Pedagogical Gap Analysis: We held structured sessions with a cohort of 17 educators from the four target institutions. This focus group revealed a critical "Pedagogical Gap": while teachers are motivated, 90% reported they are unable to implement modern curricula due to "dark classrooms" and a lack of digital hardware. This data directly informed the decision to partner with Knowledge Icon for the 8-day intensive training program to ensure the hardware is effectively utilized. • Technical Infrastructure Audits: Rotarians and technical volunteers performed onsite audits during active school hours. These audits quantified the failure of current sanitation facilities, noting that zero bathrooms were accessible for students with physical disabilities. Technical measurements of roof surface area and sun exposure were taken at the Lebanese University and partner schools to ensure the 20KW and 5KW solar designs were feasible and right-sized for the equipment load. • Student Voice & Future-Ready Prioritization: To ensure the intervention was beneficiary-centered, the team surveyed 35 students (ages 14–19) in their classrooms. The survey was facilitated by Rotarians with the assistance of in-class teachers, who provided real-time Arabic translations for complex terminology to ensure total student comprehension. 85% of respondents identified "digital illiteracy" as their primary fear regarding future employability. This feedback was pivotal in our decision to invest in high-performance laptops and AI-integrated training rather than basic tablets, ensuring the project provides long-term vocational value. Conclusion of Findings: This multi-stakeholder assessment verified that the Shahar region is suffering from a "double-displacement": students are physically present, but digitally excluded. The data revealed that an infrastructure-only solution would be insufficient, as hardware without pedagogical capacity leads to underutilized assets. Conversely, a training-only solution would fail because teachers cannot implement modern methodologies in "dark classrooms." Therefore, our assessment confirms that a successful intervention must be tripartite: 1. The Energy Backbone to ensure operational reliability. 2. The Digital Hardware to provide modern educational tools. 3. The Pedagogical Bridge (Knowledge Icon Training) to fundamentally transform the instructional culture from rote memorization to active, digitalized-integrated facilitation. By integrating these three pillars, we ensure that the technology is not just delivered, but actively and effectively leveraged to close the digital divide and prepare Shahar’s students for the modern workforce. What incentives (for example, monetary compensation, awards, certification, or publicity), will you use, if any, to encourage community members to participate in the project? To ensure sustained high engagement, we utilize a multi-layered incentive strategy: • Publicity & Prestige: The "Shahar Centers of Excellence" media campaign provides institutional prestige, encouraging school leadership and families to protect these assets. • Professional Certification: Teachers who complete the Knowledge Icon residency receive a "Master Educator in Digital Pedagogy" certificate, co-signed by the Rotary Club of Aley, boosting their professional credentials. • Technological Empowerment: Access to 100% solar-powered digital labs acts as a transformative professional incentive for staff and a learning motivator for students. • Social Dignity: The rehabilitation of accessible sanitation facilities serves as a vital incentive for the retention of at-risk female students and students with disabilities, fostering an inclusive environment that parents are eager to support. List any community members or community groups that will oversee the continuation of the project after grant-funded activities conclude. After grant activities conclude, oversight will transition to the Shahar Educational Steering Committee (SESC): • The Principals’ Council: Heads of the four beneficiary institutions manage the daily operations and physical maintenance of their campus assets. • The Abey Community Center (ACC) Directorate: Serves as the "Hub," managing the regional digital schedule, overseeing the sharing of labs between schools, and leading community-level monitoring. • Technical Advisory Lead: A faculty member from the Lebanese University (Abey Branch) provides biannual audits of the solar energy systems. • Rotary Club of Aley Liaison: Provides mentorship and governance support for the first three years. The SESC will meet quarterly to review "Facility Health Reports" and manage the collective maintenance reserve fund. By utilizing local Lebanese vendors for all procurement, we ensure that spare parts, battery maintenance, and technical service teams are always available, further securing the long-term viability of the project. Budget Will you purchase budget items from local vendors? Explain the process you used to select vendors. Yes, 100% of the project equipment—including high-performance computing units, smart boards, and solar energy systems—will be sourced from local Lebanese vendors. This strategy is essential for project sustainability, as it guarantees that replacement parts, firmware updates, and technical support teams remain accessible within the country, bypassing the logistical and customs risks associated with international shipping. Vendors are selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of their technical expertise, local market presence in Mount Lebanon, and proven ability to provide long-term service contracts. Did you use competitive bidding to select vendors? If no, please explain. Yes. We employ a rigorous, transparent competitive bidding process. For the solar infrastructure, a professional consultant was engaged to define technical specifications and scope. These specifications are issued as a "Request for Proposal" to pre-qualified local suppliers. All bids are submitted as closed/sealed envelopes directly to the Rotary Club of Aley’s treasury. A dedicated project committee then evaluates these offers based on a fixed, objective scoring matrix that prioritizes: Competitive Pricing Technical Quality & Compliance Warranty Terms Company Profile & Past Performance This standardized procurement protocol was formally initiated in the 2025-2026 Rotary Year and is now the mandatory operating procedure for all projects within the Rotary Club of Aley to ensure absolute financial accountability. Please provide an operating and maintenance plan for the equipment or materials you purchased for this project. This plan should include who will operate and maintain the equipment and how they will be trained. The O&M plan is designed for immediate operational capacity and long-term sustainability: Solar Systems: The selected vendor is required to provide a mandatory 2-day technical training for school facility staff and designated Lebanese University technicians. Training covers panel maintenance, inverter monitoring, and emergency shutdown procedures. IT Equipment: Knowledge Icon will train one "Digital Lead" teacher in each school to handle basic software troubleshooting, hardware hygiene, and administrative maintenance. Oversight: The Shahar Educational Steering Committee (SESC) will receive quarterly "Facility Health Reports" from these leads to ensure proactive maintenance is conducted. Describe how community members will maintain the equipment after grant-funded activities conclude. Will replacement parts be available? Long-term maintenance is secured through institutionalized local support. By utilizing Lebanese vendors, we ensure a local supply chain for all spare parts (e.g., replacement batteries, inverter components, or laptop batteries). Financial sustainability for minor repairs is provided by the schools’ "Parents’ Association Funds," which have been earmarked to cover ongoing maintenance costs after the initial 1-year vendor warranty expires. The Abey Community Center (ACC) will also serve as a secondary hub for resource sharing, ensuring that high-utilization equipment is kept in active, well-maintained circulation. If the grant will be used to purchase any equipment, will the equipment be culturally appropriate and conform to the community's technology standards? If yes, please explain. If no, describe how the project team will help community members adopt the technology. Yes. The technology selected (laptops and interactive smart boards) is fully compliant with the Lebanese Ministry of Education’s digital infrastructure standards and the "Madristi" platform requirements. These tools have been chosen for their versatility, allowing for both Arabic and English-language curricula. Furthermore, by prioritizing high-performance units, we ensure they remain relevant to the current technical standards of the Lebanese educational system, facilitating seamless adoption by both students and faculty. After the project is completed, who will own the items purchased by grant funds? No items may be owned by a Rotary district, club, or member. Long-term maintenance is secured through institutionalized local support and the Shahar Educational Steering Committee (SESC): Supply Chain: By utilizing Lebanese vendors, we ensure a local supply chain for all spare parts (e.g., replacement batteries, inverter components, or laptop batteries). Maintenance Funding: Financial sustainability for repairs is provided by the schools’ respective Parents’ Association Funds and the University's operational budget, which have been earmarked to cover ongoing costs after the initial 1-year vendor warranty expires. Regional Hub: The Abey Community Center (ACC) serves as the "Hub," storing shared digital tools and providing a central point for scheduling technical assistance. If one school experiences a temporary failure, the ACC provides an overflow space where students and teachers can continue their work, minimizing downtime and ensuring the community remains engaged. Funding Have you found a local funding source to sustain project outcomes for the long term? If yes, please describe this funding source. Yes. The long-term sustainability of the project is secured through institutionalized budgetary commitments from the participating educational bodies. Each partner institution—the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) for the public schools and the Lebanese University (Abey Branch) administration—maintains annual operational budgets for facility maintenance. By integrating our new solar and IT assets into their official inventory, these institutions have committed to absorbing the ongoing costs of equipment upkeep, internet connectivity, and administrative support. Furthermore, the local Parents’ Association Funds at each school have formally earmarked a portion of their annual levies to act as a "Maintenance Reserve Fund," ensuring that small-scale repairs or software updates are addressed immediately without waiting for external aid. Will any part of the project generate income for ongoing project funding? If yes, please explain. No, this project does not generate monetary income, as its primary goal is to provide equitable, free access to quality education for the Shahar region. Instead, the project generates a significant "Social Return on Investment" (SROI). The "income" generated by this project is measured in: Academic Retention: By eliminating "energy poverty" and providing inclusive sanitation, we are preventing student dropouts, thereby securing the long-term human capital of the Shahar region. Vocational Preparedness: By providing high-performance computing and AI-integrated training, we are increasing the future employability of 1,275 students, which provides a long-term economic benefit to their families and the broader community. Regional Resilience: The project transforms these schools into "Centers of Excellence," which increases institutional prestige, boosts student enrollment, and attracts long-term support from the local community and the Lebanese diaspora. We believe that investing in the digital literacy and physical well-being of the next generation is the most effective form of economic development, creating a "virtuous cycle" where educated, skilled graduates contribute back to the local economy. Is your economic and community development activity a microcredit project? If yes, upload your microcredit supplement file. No, this is not a microcredit project. This is an educational infrastructure and capacity-building initiative designed to close the digital divide and provide equitable access to education in an underserved region. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||