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7News stopped by to see the start of the program. Daniel Ortiz reports:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
The first 3 units of the Raspberry Pi were on display at the official opening of the Train the Teachers workshop.

The motherboard was exposed to show how advanced this miniature computer is. Even in this presentations, it looks complicated, and difficult to decode. But, the PUC, the consultants and the trainers eventually want this computer component to be as easy as a simple puzzle.

Today, the Computer Teachers from high schools countrywide sign in and presented themselves for the first day of the training.

The organizers immediately shared their vision for what computer education should look like if Belize wants to seriously compete with technology and innovation from the rest of the world:

John Avery - Chairman, PUC
"The PUC recognized that it will require a slight shift in our culture and the way we've traditionally operated, in order to inspire our people to achieve the goals that we think are attainable and ought to be the goals that we set for ourselves. not only to be consumers of new trends and development that take place in our world today but also to be creators and producers of such new development, technologies, applications and strategies for coping with the problems that we deal with in our world today."

The government reps are ambitious. They're hoping to foster inventors who will someday commercialize locally created technology and offer it to the rest of the world, in the same way that the US, China, Taiwan are the home to some the world's most successful technology companies.

Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education
"My friends, we can be on either of two sides when we are dealing with technology. We can be on the user side, as so many of us are, or we can be on the innovative and creative side of technology. This morning I sat down and thought about how much money I've spend in these 20 years that I've been mingling with technology. How many laptops I've bought, smart phones I've used and paid for, tablets, and apps I've bought on the app store. It's a lot of money that I've invested in technology, and yes I'm into technology as many of us are. While we are spending all of this money, somebody is making that money. Steve Jobs is dead and gone but very wealthy and of course others who have developed software like Facebook and messengers. You are IT teachers, you are probably better informed than I am about all that exists out there, but imagine all the monies that have been spent on hardware development and software purchasing. And then imagine how much those who developed it, have made, just based on what you've spent in your lifetime or the time that you've been exposed to technology. Many of us are of course immigrants to technology, we are not natives, and we weren't born like the children are now. When I want to learn to do something now, I have to go and ask my young boys. One is 10 and one is 7, I think the one who is 7 might actually know more than the one who is 10."

But, for right now, the process is just starting, and these teachers who are participating, are important part of the process

John Avery - Chairman, PUC
"We're not suggesting that your partnership is only in transferring this knowledge to your students. The same inspiration that we would like to achieve with respect to our young students, we would hope that you all will participate in that. Our human resources, our most valuable resource that we have in this country is from age 1 day to however long we may all live. So we do not see you as simply a tool to pass on this knowledge and hope to be partner in inspiring younger people, but we would hope that you all would be inspired too. You all have enough knowledge, creativity and innovation to also help to move the country forward in the way that we are hoping to achieve with our long term young innovators program."

So what sort of information will these teachers be learning about the Raspberry Pi?

Dalwin Lewis - Trainer/Consultant, Raspberry Pi Workshop
"Basically a shrunk down computer, this is actually, if you're comparing to a modern computer, about half of the processing power. So it's very powerful, the major advantage that this has compared to a regular laptop or desktop is these pins right here."

The workshop continues for the next 2 weeks, and the teachers will get 2 of the raspberry pi units to teach their students. Because it is part of the PUC's Young Innovators program, the Commission will be monitoring the progress, and they will hold competitions to ensure innovation and creativity. The most impressive ideas will be honored.