Driving Digital Transformation: ITS Assists 13 Raudhatul Athfal Kediri in Managing Independent Websites

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) – A community service team from the Intelligent Information Management Laboratory at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) has trained and provided guidance to 13 *Raudhatul Athfal* (Islamic preschools) in Purwoasri District, Kediri Regency. The initiative aims to help them develop their own school websites independently, thereby fostering digital transformation within the Early Childhood Education (PAUD) sector.

Team leader Dr. Ir. Adhatus Solichah Ahmadiyah, S.Kom., M.Sc., stated that the program—funded by the Directorate of Community Service and Empowerment (DPPM) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek)—was initiated following a preliminary survey. The survey revealed that none of the 13 partner preschools in Purwoasri District possessed an active website, nor did any teachers have experience in website management.

“This situation resulted in poor documentation of school information and low transparency, ultimately leading to suboptimal school branding in the eyes of the public. Therefore, we stepped in to strengthen the managerial and technical capabilities of the preschool teachers, preparing them for the shift to digital operations,” said the lecturer from the ITS Department of Informatics Engineering.

She noted that prior to the program, information dissemination across these 13 preschools relied primarily on WhatsApp, written announcements, and verbal communication.

Adhatus added that the training program, held on July 18, also incorporated an element of women’s empowerment, given that the entire teaching staff across the 13 preschools in Purwoasri District consists of women.

“Through this training, teachers are not only equipped with digital skills but are also encouraged to gain the confidence to independently manage and promote their own institutions,” she said.

She explained that her team—comprising lecturers and students from the ITS Department of Informatics Engineering—conducted an eight-month mentorship program. They utilized Google Sites as the primary platform because it requires no hosting fees and is user-friendly for educators unfamiliar with programming. “The assistance provided ranged from initial outreach and content structure design to hands-on practice. We equipped teachers with specialized modules and trained them to compile school profiles, facility details, enrollment information, and activity galleries,” he said.

He added that once each school’s website went live, the ITS team continued to provide periodic support to ensure content was updated regularly.

To date, 13 *Raudhatul Athfal* (RA)—Islamic kindergartens—in Purwoasri District, Kediri Regency, now have publicly accessible official websites. These include RA Al Burhani, RA Bustanul Mu’min, RA Irsyadul Ibad, RA Islamiyah Muneng, RA Kusuma Mulia Al Ikhsan, RA Kusuma Mulia Muslimat NU I, RA Miftahul Jannah, RA Nurul Huda, RA Perwanida Mekikis, RA Perwanida Purwoasri, RA Perwanida YPI Mranggen, RA Wahid Hasim, and RA Al Qur’an Al Hikmah. The program’s success was also measured through pre-test and post-test results, which demonstrated an improvement in the participants’ understanding.

Binti Najichah, S.Pd., Chairperson of the Purwoasri *Raudhatul Athfal* Teachers’ Association (IGRA), welcomed the support program.

“*Alhamdulillah* (Praise be to God), we are very enthusiastic about this program. It is an initiative we have eagerly awaited, as it allows us to better introduce our institutions to the public through websites,” said Najichah.

Similar enthusiasm was expressed by the heads of the RA schools who participated in the training. Kuni Maghfurin, S.Pd.I., Head of RA Perwanida Mekikis, expressed gratitude for the benefits her institution has gained.

“Thank you to ITS for organizing this program; *Alhamdulillah*, it has been incredibly beneficial for our institution. God willing, we will make further progress thanks to this website development,” she said.

Tri Asintaning Sari, S.Pd., Head of RA Al Burhani Pesing, echoed these sentiments, expressing hope that the website would increase public awareness of her school.
“With this website, I hope RA Al Burhani becomes more widely known and that people outside the community gain a better understanding of my school,” she said. (ADV)

Link https://jatim.antaranews.com/berita/1083357/dorong-transformasi-digital-its-dampingi-13-raudhatul-athfal-kediri-kelola-website-mandiri