5 SkyLights sold = 1 SkyLight donated
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We believe the SkyLight can have a big social impact and make a tangible difference in individuals’ lives, especially when used in conjunction with global health programs or for science education.
The SkyLight was initially designed to address an observed and unmet human need: access to basic healthcare in remote and resource limited locations. In developing countries, seeing a doctor is often impossible because the doctor is either too far away or there are too few doctors to serve a country’s population, or both. The World Health Organization estimates that 57 countries have an absolute shortage of 2.3 million physicians, nurses and midwives. Telemedicine, the use of telecommunication and information technology to provide clinical healthcare over distance, can help eliminate distance barriers and improve access to healthcare services. With the SkyLight, smartphones bring microscopes into the digital age as a telemedicine-enabled device.
While field testing the SkyLight in the rain forests of Costa Rica with the Merritt Microscopy Program, we realized it has a great potential to improve another resource-limited location: science classrooms. Science classrooms often do not have the financial resources to purchase new equipment, but the SkyLight allows science classrooms to inexpensively upgrade existing microscopes to digital instruments using the widely available technology of smartphones, allowing students to interact with microscopes in a totally new way.
In commitment to these two visions we are committed to producing the SkyLight as a social venture. For every five SkyLights that are purchased, we will donate one to either a global health or science education cause. This is our 5 to 1 Promise.
If you or someone you know can use one or many SkyLights as a resource for science education or global health, please contact us at 5to1promise@skylightscope.com
Last but very importantly, thanks to our supporters for helping the SkyLight and the 5 to 1 program become a reality!
♥ Andy & Tess
Education outreach with a SkyLight prototype!