One Laptop Per Child Programs Comes Alive
First reported February 23, 2012 · Updated October 28, 2026
February 23, 2012 | San José, Costa Rica
Costa Rica has begun distributing children’s XO laptop computers through Conectándonos, an education project led by the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and the Fundación Quirós Tanzi. Its first rollout in February 2012 is bringing laptops to approximately 1,500 primary-school students across 15 schools, with a longer-term ambition to reach 25,000 children.
At Escuela La Lía in Curridabat, students received equipment designed for use both in class and at home. Local reporting describes the launch as more than a donation of hardware. The program includes teacher preparation, family involvement, connectivity and technical support intended to help schools make the machines useful for learning.
A personal computer for each student
The XO laptop is associated with the international One Laptop per Child initiative. Its compact build, wireless capabilities and child-oriented software were designed with school-age users in mind. Instead of placing a few shared computers in a laboratory, Conectándonos follows a one-to-one model that puts an individual device in each participating student’s hands.
The computers use the Sugar learning environment, which emphasizes exploration and collaboration rather than simply teaching children how to operate conventional office programs. Activities can include writing, photography, research and problem-solving. Access to the device after the school day potentially gives children more opportunities to practice and include their families in their work.
The first phase covers schools in several communities rather than a single city. Contemporary planning named San Isidro de Alajuela, Santa Teresita de Turrialba, Río Cuarto de Grecia, Curridabat and areas of La Unión among the locations involved. These are project areas; they should not be mistaken for the names of all 15 schools.
Teachers are part of the plan
Education Minister Leonardo Garnier said at the launch that teacher training was essential if students were to benefit from the technology. That point is central to the program’s design. A laptop alone does not provide an internet connection, curricular guidance or classroom time to use new tools effectively.
The partnership dates to an August 2011 agreement between MEP and Fundación Quirós Tanzi. Government planning documents describe responsibilities spanning the use of digital tools in the curriculum, educator development and continuing support for participating schools. The foundation was created in 2010 to support digital inclusion in Costa Rican public education.
What happened next
By December 2012, La Nación reported that the first 1,500 children were using their XO laptops in creative projects. Its follow-up described students writing stories and exploring activities that went beyond conventional lessons. The launch’s national 25,000-device ambition should be understood as a target, not a claim that every planned computer had already been delivered.
Questions and answers
When did the first students receive their XO laptops? The initial public handover took place in February 2012, including at Escuela La Lía in Curridabat.
How many students were in the first phase? Approximately 1,500 children in 15 public schools.
Who organized Conectándonos? The Ministry of Public Education and Fundación Quirós Tanzi, with teacher and family participation built into the project.