For press inquires related to the ASU SolarSPELL Initiative, contact:
Abby Johnson
Press Inquiries
Offline AI tool makes education accessible to areas without internet
The State Press | June 2025
A collaboration between Next Lab and the ASU SolarSPELL Initiative began back in the fall, when a student researcher who worked at Next Lab came to SolarSPELL with an idea. This led to the labs teaming up to bridge this divide by integrating an offline, open-source AI tool into SolarSPELL’s solar-powered digital libraries, now known as EDge AI.
ASU Outstanding Graduate’s path from Peace Corps to global development
ASU News | May 2025
During his time at ASU, Ryan Watling engaged with global audiences by traveling to five countries across three continents. He also worked as a qualitative data analysis graduate student intern with ASU SolarSPELL initiative, where he traveled to Lesotho for three weeks to conduct fieldwork.
ASU solar-powered libraries aid Arizona, Africa and beyond
Axios Phoenix | May 2025
A laptop-size solar-powered library designed by ASU researchers to expand education access in developing countries is now helping Phoenix residents.
SolarSPELL wins 'best in show' award at South by Southwest
ASU News | March 2025
Library device creators among several ASU faculty members sharing expertise at tech festival
How ASU research is helping first responders
ASU News | March 2025
SolarSPELL’s project providing solar-powered digital libraries to crisis responders in the Phoenix Fire Department’s Community Assistance Program is featured in this article on how ASU faculty are supporting frontline workers.
2025 SXSW Innovation Awards winners announced
SXSW | March 2025
SolarSPELL is announced as the winner of the coveted ‘Best in Show’ in the 2025 SXSW Innovation Awards.
2025 SXSW Innovation Awards finalists announced
SXSW | January 2025
SolarSPELL is announced as a finalist for the 2025 SXSW Innovation Award for Community Empowerment.
ASU-developed SolarSPELL libraries deployed to help communities in Arizona
ASU News | October 2024
SolarSPELL, which started as a student engineering assignment and grew into a global humanitarian project, is now providing its solar-powered library devices to help people in Arizona.
We must bring digital literacy to remote communities
ICTworks | September 2024
“It is imperative that connectivity initiatives, especially in culturally sensitive and isolated regions, are paired with comprehensive information literacy programs,” SolarSPELL co-founder Laura Hosman writes in this guest post.
Off-grid, offline digital libraries on Raspberry Pi 3
Raspberry Pi News | May 2024
Arizona State University engineering students designed a new Raspberry Pi-compatible charging controller for SolarSPELL’s solar-powered offline libraries.
ASU nursing graduate determined to be a voice for the voiceless
ASU News | April 2024
“The collaboration of ASU SolarSPELL and my DNP project has not only contributed to the Hopi Tribe’s health literacy and tackled the digital divide but has also affirmed that ASU students can be catalysts for long-term change in Native American health care,” said Aurelia Taylor, an ASU Doctor of Nursing Practice student and member of the Hopi Tribe.
Press Release: ASU students and staff unveil new hardware for world’s only solar-powered digital library
ASU SolarSPELL Initiative | February 2024
The world’s first — and only — digital library with integrated solar power is getting a compact new design this week, as Arizona State University’s SolarSPELL Initiative unveils new hardware engineered and created by ASU students, faculty and staff.
SolarSPELL off-grid wireless hotspots
Raspberry Pi News | December 2023
The SolarSPELL (Solar Powered Educational Learning Library) initiative from Arizona State University (ASU) provides digital libraries which are available via solar-powered, offline technology.
Laura Hosman Ph.D. | Making the world better with technology
The Homeless Romantic Podcast | May 2023
Dr. Hosman talks with host Chris Jeffries about the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in developing countries, with a particular emphasis on its impact on socio-cultural factors, human development and economic growth.
Solar-powered libraries help Syrian communities rebuild from war
ASU News | April 2023
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria educators visit ASU to meet with SolarSPELL team.
ASU nursing student changing lives across the globe
ASU News | April 2023
Rachel Thompson, an Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation Doctor of Nursing Practice student, traveled to Malawi, Africa, with ASU’s SolarSPELL team to help with the delivery of, and training for, 10 solar-powered digital health libraries to nursing schools there.
Student-made documentary highlights importance of worldwide literacy
The State Press | April 2023
‘The Sunflower Kids’ aims to address the impact that ASU’s SolarSPELL initiative has had in communities worldwide.
ASU's SolarSPELL digital libraries help teachers in Ethiopian refugee camps
ASU News | July 2022
Working with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), SolarSPELL libraries were introduced to schools in refugee camps in Ethiopia, where South Sudanese educators were able to deliver lessons in their native Nuer language.
Volunteers help SolarSPELL get back in action
ASU News | April 2021
Volunteers from the Phoenix Peace Corps Association and SolarSPELL came together April 3 to build dozens of portable, digital SolarSPELL libraries destined for Ethiopia later this year.
SolarSPELL brought virtual learning resources to South Sudan
The State Press | February 2021
Our in-field partner, EmpowerKids – South Sudan, trained facilitators to take SolarSPELL units to schools in South Sudan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q&A: How COVID-19 can help reshape access to higher education
Devex | February 2021
This Q&A session with ASU Professor Stefanie Lindquist, Senior VP of Global Academic Initiatives discusses how technology, like SolarSPELL, is used as a solution to provide access to education in remote locations across the world.
Catalyst: SolarSPELL
PBS’ Arizona Horizon | January 2021
This segment featured SolarSPELL’s work and accomplishments and also includes a behind-the-scenes look at our most recent Build Day
What A Solar-Powered, Portable Library Looks Like
Forbes | December 2020
The article clearly explained how SolarSPELL works, why there is a need for it, and highlighted our efforts in South Sudan
Developing an offline digital library for South Sudan - the SolarSPELL Health: nursing and midwifery library
South Sudan Medical Journal | November 2020
Learn more about the SolarSPELL Health: Nursing and Midwifery Library and the work our students and staff have been doing over the last year
Innovation at ASU: Ranked #1 for the sixth year in a row: Arizona State University
ASUNow | September 13, 2020
ASU featured SolarSPELL and our Peace Corps partnership to exemplify being the most innovative school in the country for the 6th year.
Acceso a herramientas de aprendizaje digital más importante que nunca
Sentido Común | August 15, 2020
De acuerdo con la Asociación de Internet MX, en 2018, la penetración de internet en México en la población era de 67%. Si bien el acceso ha crecido rápidamente durante los últimos años, principalmente a través de los teléfonos inteligentes, su alcance continúa siendo desigual.
Peace Corps, Arizona State University Partner to Provide Digital Libraries Across the Globe
Signals AZ | August 2, 2020
The Peace Corps and Arizona State University today announced a new strategic partnership agreement that will advance their shared interest in meeting the needs of learners in remote, offline communities globally by leveraging ASU’s innovative technology, SolarSPELL, a tool to build information literacy and to advance high-quality education.
Peace Corps, Arizona State University partner to provide digital libraries across the globe
Global Sustainability | Sustainability Scientists and Scholars| July 13, 2020
A new strategic partnership agreement will advance a shared interest in meeting the needs of learners in remote, offline communities globally by leveraging ASU’s innovative technology, SolarSPELL, a tool to build information literacy and to advance high-quality education. SolarSPELL is directed by ASU Sustainability Scientist Laura Hosman, Associate Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society.
ASU, Peace Corps agreement to expand SolarSPELL learning platform's reach
ASUNow | July 10, 2020
The Peace Corps and Arizona State University have signed a strategic agreement that will help Peace Corps volunteers in the field advance their humanitarian work by using an educational device invented by an ASU professor.
Meet the Finalists of the TPrize 2020 Challenge
Observatory of Educational Innovation | June 1, 2020
On December 20, 2019, Tec de Monterrey and Universidad de Los Andes, with the support of MIT Solve, launched the TPrize 2020 Challenge. This award seeks to encourage entrepreneurs to generate solutions aimed at social and educational problems in Latin America and the Caribbean.
SolarSPELL will bring educational content to a South Sudanese nursing school
State Press | April 16, 2020
The Juba College of Nursing and Midwifery will be provided with educational audio and visual material by SolarSPELL, a technology created by ASU students and professors.
When members of the SolarSPELL team visited Juba last year to assess the school’s needs, there was an immediate interest in supplying offline academic content to the students.
ASU to help refugees using SolarSPELL technology in Ethiopia
State Press | Feb. 6, 2020
ASU will provide community education for refugees and help with refugee operations in two cities in Ethiopia, ASU’s Education for Humanity initiative announced Jan. 26.
Distance Learning Without Computers
Campus Technology | Aug. 28, 2019
While online courses can offer the promise of education to a worldwide audience, what happens when the students have neither computing devices nor an internet connection?
ASU professor's solar-powered library is transforming global education
ASU Now | July 25, 2019
In just five years, an Arizona State University student engineering project has grown into a global humanitarian mission that is now poised to transform the way health care is delivered.
SolarSPELL began when Laura Hosman, an associate professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, challenged her engineering students to create a solar-powered library that would fit into a backpack. Now the initiative has distributed hundreds of digital libraries filled with educational resources to communities in nine countries that have limited or no internet connectivity.
Refugees in Uganda learn agribusiness through online initiative
ASU Now | June 6, 2019
Education for Humanity offers coursework through SolarSPELL invention
When students in Uganda learn about the principles of agribusiness marketing, they really understand them, because many of them are already selling vegetables as their livelihood.
ASU students developing off-grid tech to help small farms build resilience to climate change
ASU Now | March 18, 2019
With a growing global population, farmers are working hard to feed the world. Throw climate change into the mix and maintaining a thriving, high-yield farm becomes even harder.
Facing these challenges, it’s important for farmers to monitor soil for conditions such as temperature and moisture level in order to keep crops healthy. Agricultural sensors make it easy for farmers to take these measurements, but the sensors are usually attainable only for industrial farms that can afford the technology and can access electricity and a network connection. Rural small farms don’t always have these luxuries, said Bruce Baikie, a senior sustainability fellow in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University.
Students work to deliver SolarSPELL technology to countries in need
State Press | April 5, 2018
An ASU-led project called SolarSPELL is preparing to make a push into more countries while it updates the technology that comes with its devices.
ASU professor wins PLuS Alliance prize for SolarSPELL innovation
ASU Now | Sep. 3, 2017
Dr. Laura Hosman’s solar-powered digital library brings resources, educational opportunities to remote, off-grid communities
PLuS Alliance Prize 2017 | Winners Announcement
PLuS Alliance | Sep. 3, 2017
The PLuS Alliance Prize valued at USD$50,000 is awarded in two categories; Education Innovation and Research Innovation. Both winners are recognised for the development and implementation of innovative solutions to significant global issues. Additionally, two additional achievements are recognised for Global Leadership and Global Innovation.
PLuS Alliance Prize for Education Innovation winner:
Dr Laura Hosman for The Solar Powered Educational Learning Library (SolarSPELL) said, “It’s a great privilege to be selected as the education innovation winner for the PLuS Alliance Prize this year. SolarSPELL is making a difference in the lives of thousands of people living in remote areas around the world by removing barriers to learning. This distinguished award will help our team continue this important work.
Solar-powered digital libraries developed at ASU being used worldwide
ABC15 | Aug. 7, 2017
It might not look incredibly high-tech or that this small box could really change how things are taught in the classroom, but it can and it already is.
SolarSPELL Featured on Cronkite News
Cronkite News, Arizona PBS | Feb. 7, 2017
Cronkite News covered the SolarSPELL initiative in their newscast on Feb. 7, 2017.
Tonga Volunteers begin piloting a solar-powered, climate-resistant digital library
Peace Corps | Jan. 25, 2017
On December 12, 2016, 17 Tonga Volunteers received introductory training in the use of an innovative technology they will pilot in their schools and communities in the 2017 school year.
No internet, no power, no problem: ASU solar library empowers schools abroad
ASU Now | Sep. 12, 2016
Many islands in the Pacific Ocean lack two things that are essential for accessing information and performing educational pursuits: a library and the internet.
Without this access, many teachers are without strong lesson plans or curriculum and community members lack books and multimedia.
But a new Arizona State University faculty member has figured out a way to deliver a digital library that doesn’t depend on existing internet connectivity — rather, it comes with its own Wi-Fi hotspot.
Solar Powered Library Helps Remote Students
VOA News | March 23, 2016
Alexis Cullen works as a volunteer in Vanuatu, one of the Peace Corp’s most remote postings.
In the village where she works, called Naviso, some people have never heard of the Internet. That is not uncommon in the South Pacific, where some people have limited access to learning resources.
SPELL Solar Digital Library
BBC Digital Planet | July 7, 2015
Students in Cal Poly’s Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies (LAES) have put together an innovative project to provide SPELL, a solar powered digital library for people in Micronesia and Vanuatu in the wake of the recent devastation. Click discusses the project with the team leader, Laura Hosman.
[Interview starts around 19:30]
