Engaged Graduate Student Grants
Texting for Social Change
Using text messages to foster successful youth transitions in sub-Saharan Africa
With an estimated 92 percent of 15 to 29-year-olds in Cameroon owning cell phones, the technology has the potential to be a powerful tool for engaging with youth and fostering positive development outcomes. Anthony Poon — working as part of a larger Cornell collaboration with the country’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education and the Ministry of Secondary Education — is designing and deploying trial interventions to address new questions of how information technology can be used to deliver positive results. This grant funds a study to assess whether receiving motivational messages and practice test questions via their cell phones helps graduating high school seniors better prepare for their final exam.
Topic: Education
The Team
- Graduate student: Anthony Poon, information science
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Special committee chair:
Nicki Dell, Department of Information Science
Cornell Tech
- Community partner: Cameroon Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education
- Community partner: Cameroon Ministry of Secondary Education
In the News
APRIL 25, 2019
To aid Cameroon students with test prep, earn their trust
– Cornell Chronicle
DECEMBER 3, 2018
Student Spotlight on Anthony Poon: Improving High School Graduation Rates in Cameroon
– Cornell Daily Sun