American Discovery Center : enhancing teaching and literacy through ICTs

Abstract

American Discovery Centers (ADCs) are partnerships between the Public Affairs section of U.S. Embassy in Islamabad (Pakistan) and host country secondary and elementary schools. They provide access to current and reliable information from and about the U.S. via book collections, the Internet, and through local programming to the academic communities in Pakistan. Sponsored by U.S. embassy, an ADC unit serves as an information outpost similar to a school library reference service. The multi-media, and book collections are open and accessible to those determined by the host institution. ADCs are an effective means to provide information about United States history, government, society, and values; to provide access to computers and the Internet; and to explore the educational software and CD-ROMs. This article aims to highlight the U.S. Government efforts to bridge the digital divide in Pakistan.