The Bermuda Project
Bermuda is a small British overseas territory of the Atlantic Ocean with a landmass of barely 20 square miles and a population of only 62,000. The community has only two public high schools. Bermuda is not, however, a poor territory. In fact, Bermuda's status as a popular tourist site and its role as a tax-haven for large companies bring in a great deal of wealth. Bermuda is a prime example of the importance of education for inclusion in a the high-tech economy. Bermuda has a strong economy in general, and large good portion of its citizens have the capital to afford access to the latest technology. However, to take a lead in the world economy, its citizens must know how to use that technology.
In 1997, Stanford University began "The Bermuda Project." In this project, leading professors Eric Roberts (Computer Science) and Brigid Barron (Education) worked alongside Project Director Caitlin Martin and a handful of Stanford students to develop a computer science curriculum for Bermuda's public high schools to develop a computer science curriculum for use in Bermuda's two public high schools. The team eventually developed three courses. The first, "Introduction to Computing," which is now mandatory for all students in Bermuda's public high schools, covers basic computer hardware, web design, and the use of important applications, including word processors and spreadsheets. The other courses, electives, focus on computer programming. Those involved with the project made visits to Bermuda and also brought Bermuda high school teachers to the Stanford campus for training.
The full implications of The Bermuda Project are not yet known, but at the very least, it serves as a reminder that the term "developing nation" is not merely based on quantitative figures such as gross domestic product (GDP), and it also demonstrates one way in which developed nations can help the rest of the world to reach its full potential and participate in the global economy.