Across the Global South, 95% of schools aren’t connected to the internet.
In these contexts, schools often lack even basic educational materials like textbooks, teachers are under-supported, and learners grow up without the digital or information literacy skills that are increasingly vital for education, employment and civic participation. Barriers such as limited internet infrastructure, high data costs, unreliable electricity, and a lack of locally relevant educational materials make access to information a persistent challenge for both teachers and students.
But this disconnect is not just digital — it is developmental. When people can’t access quality information or build the skills to use it meaningfully, they are excluded from opportunity. Worse yet, when first-time internet users do get online, they are vulnerable to misinformation, scams and exploitation. Global efforts to expand connectivity have focused heavily on infrastructure, but much less on what comes next: helping communities make empowering use of that access. The result is what we call information poverty, a compounding of the digital divide that stifles individual and community growth.
SolarSPELL was created to meet learners where they are — offline.
The ASU SolarSPELL Initiative is a global education initiative that brings localized, open-access educational content to offline communities through solar-powered digital libraries. SolarSPELL’s (Solar Powered Educational Learning Library) rugged, portable technology generates its own offline WiFi hotspot, enabling any smartphone, tablet or laptop to connect and explore tens of thousands of curated resources with no need for internet or electricity.
But SolarSPELL is more than a technological solution. Our holistic approach pairs offline libraries with hands-on training to build digital and information literacy skills in the communities we serve. All of our projects are co-led with in-field partners — such as in-country ministries, NGOs, Peace Corps Volunteers and school leaders — who are involved in each step of the process from design and curation to implementation and impact evaluation. This ensures that capacities are built locally for sustainable individual and community empowerment.
We are leading the way in offline-first EdTech.
In addition to creating the world’s first and only solar-powered, offline digital library, the ASU SolarSPELL Initiative boasts a number of other firsts. We are the only global digital library initiative to introduce the following innovations:
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Localized library collections: SolarSPELL collections are not one-size-fits-all. With input from users and partners, each library’s content is curated to align with national curricula, language needs and cultural norms. This ensures that learners see themselves in the library, increasing relevance and adoption. -
Hands-on, peer-led training: Our “train-the-trainer” model empowers local educators to become library experts. These local champions serve as a SolarSPELL trainer and resource person at their schools, creating sustainable, grassroots-level change in educational outcomes, digital literacy and information literacy. -
By learners, for learners: As a university initiative, SolarSPELL is committed to improving educational opportunities for all. Each year, more than 150 university students contribute to every aspect of our work — from content curation and hardware design to training development and impact evaluation — helping them build key competencies in principled innovation and cross-cultural collaboration.
Since 2015, SolarSPELL has implemented more than 400 digital education libraries across 13 countries.
More than 800 in-field trainers have helped us reach more than 300,000 learners. Surveys and interviews with these users reveal compelling results:
- 92% say SolarSPELL makes them feel better prepared to do their job.
- 88% of users report an improvement in their digital literacy skills after using the library.
- 92% of teachers say SolarSPELL supports their students’ education.
- Among nursing students, 93% report improved patient care thanks to access to medical videos and reference materials.
Many teachers report improvements in class attendance, student engagement and test score. One school in Fiji, for example, reported that the rate of 8th graders who passed their national exams jumped from 29% to 100% in the year after SolarSPELL was introduced. And we often hear stories of teachers using SolarSPELL to create new opportunities for their students and communities: creating computer labs, offering independent study, nominating students for local science fairs, starting youth and community clubs, even building new community library spaces to connect more folks to the digital library. More than providing information, SolarSPELL sparks curiosity, confidence and new possibilities.
Looking ahead, SolarSPELL is poised for global scale. Our strategic partnership with the Peace Corps (one of only 20 such agreements in its history) offers a launchpad into 60+ countries. Partnerships with ministries of education, health, and agriculture help embed SolarSPELL into national systems. With demand growing across continents — and a proven, cost-effective model — we are ready to bring the power of libraries to the billions still offline.
SolarSPELL is not just bridging the digital divide — it is building the foundation for a more inclusive, informed and empowered future.
