Samsung Launches Collaborative ‘Classroom of Peace’ to Promote Tech Skills in Colombia

Samsung Electronics has partnered with the Colombian Agency for Reintegration (ACR) to open the first ‘Classroom of Peace’ Smart School, located in Valledupar, in the north of the country.

The specialized Smart School was established in a vulnerable neighborhood populated by individuals who were previously guerillas, members of paramilitary forces and victims of conflicts. Dozens of families with former ties to armed groups are in the process of reintegrating into the community, while also dealing with ever-present social problems such as poverty, violence and drugs.

On August 10, Samsung Colombia and ACR launched the Classroom of Peace in a local school which counts 1,200 students – many of whom come from reintegrating families. The goal of the initiative is to help the children exercise their creativity and problem-solving abilities and develop the digital skills necessary to seize future employment opportunities and create a better future for their community.

“This Smart School allows us to experiment with learning opportunities that make use of new technologies and promote peaceful values,” explains César Muñoz, Corporate Citizenship Manager at Samsung Electronics Colombia. “The best practices that emerge from this experience may be shared to support other communities in the country that are facing similar conditions.”

The Classroom of Peace utilizes fun, tech-driven activities that encourage collaboration while reinforcing the higher values of tolerance, coexistence and respect. The classroom is outfitted with, among other tech, a 60-inch UHD Smart TV, dozens of Samsung tablets and a Gear VR-Galaxy S6 virtual reality set, and was designed to create a nurturing and collaborative environment within which the students may thrive.

Watch in the video below as the students and instructors christen their collaborative classroom with games, performances and lots of smiles.