Inspiring Sweden’s Youth to Dream Big Through Digital Learning

Daniel Johnsson is a Solutions Engineer at Samsung Electronics Nordic AB (SENA) who spends his days supporting B2B customers with their Samsung mobile devices, and with services like the company’s multi-layered mobile security solution, Knox.

Inspired by SENA’s Corporate Citizenship team’s efforts to utilize Samsung technologies to benefit local communities, over the last few years, Daniel has donated his expertise – and more than 100 hours of his spare time – to help equip teachers and students across Sweden with the digital skills they need to succeed.

These efforts – part of Samsung’s Smart School initiative – have seen Daniel travel to schools in remote locations across the country and provide hands-on support for upwards of 80 teachers and 380 students. By helping these individuals learn to use Samsung tablets, mobile devices and services like Knox to enjoy more enriching and interactive learning experiences, Daniel has played an integral role in promoting digital skills in Swedish schools, and in helping more teachers and students realize their full potential.

Daniel’s quest to help Swedish schools foster digital learning has taken him from Upplands Väsby, near Stockholm, all the way down to Kävlinge, at the country’s southern tip.

According to Daniel, the best part of volunteering is his face-to-face interactions with Smart School participants. Witnessing the teachers and students’ excitement and passion firsthand has motivated him to continue his work with the schools, and led him to truly believe in technology’s potential to inspire children to dream big.

To illustrate his point, Daniel recalls his work at one school in particular: Vålbergsskolan, in Vålberg, a rural area near Sweden’s border with Norway. Before participating in the Smart School program, the school had very limited access to digital tools, students’ grades were lower than average, and many students dropped out of school after the ninth grade.

To help address these concerning trends, Daniel worked closely with Vålbergsskolan’s teachers to integrate Samsung technologies into their lessons, and helped students learn how to utilize digital devices and solutions to study more effectively. Now, the headmaster of the school is happy to report that students are thriving in their inclusive and interactive learning environments, have gotten more involved in their lessons, and their performance as a whole has significantly improved.

As Ms. Amelie Wahlström, the headmaster of the school, explained, “Some of these students have had difficulty writing and reading in Swedish. Now, thanks to this project and the new skills that our teachers have acquired, we’ve seen the students flourish. And the opportunity to use devices like tablets in their lessons has made our students excited to practice reading and writing.”

Through his work with Samsung’s Smart School initiative, Daniel Johnsson (seated at center) helps schools in remote locations across Sweden foster immersive and engaging digital learning experiences.

Teachers, too, have greatly appreciated Daniel’s help. The digital skills that Ms. Therese Öberg, a teacher at Runby School in Upplands Väsby, acquired helped her earn a nomination for the 2017 Golden Apple Awards’ Teacher of the Year award, which recognizes educators for excellence in teaching and leadership.

Ms. Öberg guides her class through a fun and engaging lesson powered by Samsung devices.

Daniel’s efforts have earned him the 2017 Samsung Global Citizenship Awards’ Outstanding Volunteer honor, while his dedication and enthusiasm have inspired many of his SENA colleagues to volunteer their own time and talents to support Samsung’s corporate citizenship initiatives. Through their participation, they’ve come to appreciate the tremendous impact that promoting digital learning can have on their community.

Daniel believes that Samsung’s technologies and leadership in innovation can provide invaluable help in addressing social challenges in Sweden and around the globe. He is determined to continue his volunteer work, and hopes to see even more of his colleagues join him in affecting positive change.

See for yourself, in the video below, how incorporating digital learning and Samsung devices into the lesson plan has helped Ms. Öberg’s class study more effectively and have more fun.