Why Should We Care? | No more CaribbeanCampus.com help for CXC, UWI students.

When I got this press release in my inbox, I became immediately conflicted. Initially I felt sad…the poor students and wow what about those unpaid teachers. Then lots of questions came pouring to my mind,  such as ….when did she start this? how much money has she pumped in this herself? Why did she choose a non-profit model with no long term funding ( grant or personal)? Why should businesses now care with their ad dollars? Then it moved to problem-solving…maybe she needs to move to a for-profit model that doesn’t rely solely on online advertising from Jamaican and Caribbean businesses, possibly consider merging her student database and teachers with successful businesses CaribbeanTutors.com or NotesMaster.com.

Have a read? How would you respond?

Press release (26th Feb, 2010)

No more CaribbeanCampus.com help for CXC, UWI students.

After helping over 2,000 Caribbean students since early January, without charge, and not generating any advertising revenue, a project once labelled as a crucial I.T tool to regional academic development is tumbling to its grave.

CaribbeanCampus.com, a non profit social network established to offer free academic support to UWI, CSEC, and O’ level students online, is facing a dire financial crisis that may ultimately lead to the closing of the project by March 3rd.

The site which attracts over 5,000 hits per day primarily from Caribbean students, is a privately funded project that employs over a dozen university trained teachers from the UK, Guyana, and The Bahamas, to assist Caribbean students with their homework, university projects and researches that is critical to their academic development free of cost online.

Now, the organization has chalked up US$16,000 in debts since January, 70% of which is owed to teachers for their many hours online assisting students throughout the Region.

As a result, almost all of the support teachers have already taken leave from the project, and has indicated that they would not return to the part-time position unless they are paid outstanding salaries owed to them by Caribbeancampus.com.

Companies such as SocialGo and Facebook which facilitates auxiliary and social hosting for the project has already threaten to pull the plug if debts owed to them by CaribbeanCampus.com are not paid up by March 3rd.

As a result, IntelMedia, developers of the project indicated that they would be forced to dissolve the project, much to the detriment of Caribbean students and teachers who are already hooked on its operations.

When it was launched nearly two months ago, Media and Marketing Director for the project, Ms. Odella Patterson had expressed optimism that small bits of online advertising support from the Region’s private sector would have helped to generate the minimum US$7,800 required monthly to pay online support tutors and operational bills at CaribbeanCampus.com.

Ironically, not a single Caribbean entity placed an ad with the project’s website even though the project Directors made every effort to bring a few regional advertising agencies onboard.

Now, the project has to face the harsh reality of commerce, as it is not optimistic about getting rescue by the March 3rd deadline.

Upon receiving news of the impending shutting down of CaribbeanCampus.com, several regional academics and students expressed their disappointment, and urged the region’s private sector to put some of their advertising Dollars into the project.

In a last minute bid to save the online tutor support services offered by the organization to CXC and UWI students, the Administrators at CaribbeanCampus.com is pleading with the region’s private sector to support banner advertising on the site soonest, and also for temporary teaching volunteers.

Caribbean campus can be contacted via their email address: caribbeancampus@yahoo.com

The organization’s Marketing Director can also be reached directly on her mobile number in Guyana at: 592-690-0490.