Among them is a group of students at the 13^th Primary School attended by both local Greek children as well as approximately 30 refugee boys and girls. Through the students’ creation of an app, they are learning to better engage with one another, despite language barriers.

Breaking Barriers Through Technology

Since 2015, immigration influx towards European countries, especially arrivals of refugees by sea to the borders of Greece, was increased dramatically mainly due to the ongoing Syrian Civil War. There were more than 856,000 arrivals by sea in Greece, an almost fivefold increase to the same period of 2014^*. An estimated 8% of the arrivals applied for asylum in Greece, with others hoping to find asylum in Northern European countries. Refugees’ children go to public schools and try to learn the Greek language.

Knowing that these children might feel isolated in a place where they cannot speak the local language, the students of the 13^th Primary School of Serres decided to keep their refugee classmates in mind when it came time to create their project for a coding competition hosted by Samsung Electronics Hellas and the British Council.

Using the tools of their school’s Smart Classroom, the students incorporated Kurdish and Arabic translation features to ”Help Friend”, an app that they developed to help assess students’ emotions and improve communication between students and educators. In doing so, the children aimed to promote inclusivity among the student body, and help non-Greek students feel closer and more connected to their classmates.

For their efforts, the participating students were awarded first place in the competition. But more importantly, they were empowered by being able to use their imagination and creativity to make positive contributions to their school and address issues that they had directly encountered.

Nurturing the Minds of Today’s Youth for a Better Tomorrow

Working with local governments, members of academic community and non-profit organizations around the globe, Samsung has established numerous programs – like the Smart Classrooms and the Coding Competition in Greece – designed to equip the world’s youth with the knowledge and skills they need to advance personally and professionally.

From establishing Digital classrooms in rural communities to engaging students in hands-on STEAM learning, Samsung hopes to enable every member of the global community to reach their full potential and take the initiative to pioneer innovations that will help solve the social issues of today and tomorrow.

To learn more about the students of the 13^th Primary School of Serres and their efforts to create a more inclusive school environment through technology, watch the video below.

Samsung Electronics today announced the research findings from teachers and 3,000 pupils across the UK who have participated in its Digital Classroom programme over the past three years. Samsung has been supporting education as a global cause since 2013 and the Digital Classroom initiative was launched in order to explore the impact technology has on teaching and learning, helping to address the digital skills gap in the UK.

Feedback from the schools participating in the programme reveals that pupils demonstrated high engagement with lessons, were more motivated and showed marked improvement in grade attainment. Teacher confidence also improved and teaching practices changed over time, with children increasingly able to work independently and collaboratively. The three-year initiative has involved establishing Digital Classrooms in 15 primary schools in challenging circumstances across the UK. Students and teachers were equipped with a suite of classroom technology including tablets, Chromebooks, laptops and an interactive whiteboard, as well as providing key training for teachers and ongoing technical support, to create an enhanced learning environment.

The research findings underpin Samsung’s belief that the provision of technology acts as a facilitator for fueling natural curiosity and a desire to learn. Bringing technology into the classroom had a positive influence on pupils’ digital skill development, enhancing their learning experience and increasing pupil collaboration and confidence:

• 89% of pupils believe that the equipment helped them to learn new digital skills, with 81% now finding it easier to do a variety of tasks on computers and 79% saying they work better with their classmates.
• Pupils confidence increased, with nearly 9 in 10 (88%) saying they felt more equipped for their next academic years of study.

Moreover, the findings highlight the great improvements that pupils’ have made in developing their digital skills between the start and the end of the 2015/16 academic year:

• Over half (57%) are writing code more frequently and are finding it easier to write code on a computer or tablet, compared to 28% at the start of the year
• 83% of pupils now find using apps an effective and easy way to learn new things, compared to 64% at the start of the year
• Knowledge of online safety has also improved, with 80% of pupils now more aware of how to stay safe on the internet, compared to 60% at the start of the year
• Over four-fifths (82%) find a computer or tablet helpful when working with other students in a team, compared to 70% at the start of the year

The Digital Classroom also had a disproportionality positive effect on children who needed extra support and motivation. Teachers reported that the Digital Classroom increased flexibility, gave them the capacity to differentiate learning and made lessons far more inclusive. By making work more attractive, this served to boost pupils’ independence, confidence and pride. The use of reading apps has helped children with dyslexia feel equal in the classroom while translation tools have helped those for whom English is a second language.

Bede Community Primary School, in Gateshead, Newcastle, is one of the schools which was selected to become a part of the Digital Classroom programme. Three years on since launching the classroom, teachers have been amazed with how the technology has transformed their lessons.

Andrew Riley from Bede Community Primary School commented: “One of the greatest impacts of the Samsung Digital Classroom has been on pupils’ personal growth and maturity, both in the classroom and outside of school. The programme has helped teachers to cultivate independence and build confidence amongst pupils by encouraging ownership of learning outcomes and self-directed learning. Here at Bede School, we feel there is a very clear relationship between academic achievement and the digital classroom, with every pupil who has taken part in lessons in the classroom progressing by at least two levels. Pupils are now more open and ready to learn in the classroom, which has meant the pace of learning has increased.”

Aleyne Johnson, Head of Government Relations and Citizenship, Samsung UK said: “We are delighted by the fantastic results generated by the Samsung Digital Classroom initiative, with the last three years showing a positive shift in pupil’s attitudes to learning as a result of integrating more technology into lessons. Whilst we have come a long way, it’s not over yet, and we are looking forward to continuing to work with our partners and many educational initiatives, to create innovative digital learning environments across to the UK to support and invest in the workforce of tomorrow.”

Discover the Samsung Digital Classroom at a glance below!

The students collaborated on projects requiring them to utilize computational thinking skills to redesign their school environments to better suit their needs. Participating classes were given educational kits to guide them through the creative design process, and the three classes whose projects were deemed the most exceptional out of the 549 submissions were rewarded with Samsung technology and unique digital training opportunities. A team of LAGO professionals also helped the winners furnish their schools with their winning designs.

‘Smart Thinking’ is an evolution of the ‘Smart Coding’ program, launched by Samsung in 2015 with the objective of making coding and computational thinking instruction accessible to students, teachers and parents—in line with the Italian Ministry of Education’s guidelines. Eight hundred Italian schools were involved in the project, which offered students a chance to develop creative thinking and problem solving skills that they may successfully apply at school, at work, and in their lives.

‘Smart Coding’ and ‘Smart Thinking’ are part of the ‘Smart Future’ project—a corporate citizenship initiative launched by Samsung in 2013, in cooperation with the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, and managed by an advisory board of education experts. The goal of the program is to drive the evolution of the Italian education system to help children develop competitive skills that will open doors to exciting opportunities in their futures.

‘Smart Future’ promotes digital teaching in primary and secondary Italian schools through the provision of technologies such as as e-boards and tablets, as well as the training and engagement of students, teachers and parents. Testament to the program’s success, after digitalizing 37 schools, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Italian Ministry of Education to accelerate the classroom-augmenting program, which had previously been capped at digitalizing 100 schools.

Switzerland ranks as one of the most competitive economies globally. There are different reasons for this success, which can be found down the road of history. As a non-EU country, Switzerland needs to prove itself in a fast changing environment. This makes it more interesting to dive deeper and understand the key success drivers. In particular, let’s take a closer look at Switzerland’s approach to education, which has long been an important cornerstone to the country’s growth.

One fact is indeed very interesting about Switzerland: There is no oil, no coal or other natural resources in this mountainous country. That’s why there is a common saying that the only valuable resource of Switzerland is the thing between the ears of its citizens. But what are the positive and critical aspects of the Swiss education sector and how can a company like Samsung contribute to the success of Switzerland?

A Small Country with 26 Ministers of Education

First, we need to understand the structure of the education system. Switzerland is a federal government with four official languages, where the 26 Cantons enjoy a lot of independent decision-making power. For public schools, this means that there is not one national Minister of Education but 26 of them, one for each Canton. For every language region, there is some coordinating of the curriculums for both primary and secondary schools. However, general guidelines on education vary between the Cantons. The Cantonal Ministers of Education enjoy this independence and proactively prevent the involvement of the national government into school issues. This sounds complicated and inefficient. So what are the benefits of this approach? There are tailor-made educational plans based on the needs of every Swiss region. Education is, therefore, also in line with the requirements of the local economy. This is, in my opinion, the first secret of Switzerland’s success.

The Swiss education system compromises the primary and lower-secondary education levels. Upper-secondary education contains vocational education and training (VET) and general education schools like Baccalaureate schools. The VET is the second success secret for the Swiss economy. Here’s why.

A majority of young adults enroll in VET after completing lower-secondary schooling. VET means that they learn a profession, like carpentry or IT-support, in a training company combined with classes at a VET school. This apprenticeship lasts two or three years. The majority of young Swiss citizens choose to do a VET in a company. To use myself as an example: I did my VET at an insurance company, working for three years in a company, gaining more and more responsibilities. Of course it was paid, which for me was one of the key arguments for doing the VET. During my VET, I received further special certification, which allowed me to go to university and graduate with a Master’s degree in Business Administration a couple of years later.

The State of Digital Education in Switzerland

Despite the great success of education in Switzerland, there is still an issue being widely discussed,  one that could have a broad impact on the fitness of the economy – digital education. Between the poles of a traditional understanding of teaching and the digital tsunami of the modern world, it seems that Switzerland has been a little reluctant to change.

Of course, there have been early adopters of digital education amongst the country, mostly because of dedicated teachers who are not afraid to use and promote new technologies during lessons. However, there are also quite a large number of schools with slow internet connections. It’s not only a question of infrastructure, but also about the official curriculum and the skills of teachers. This is where Samsung decided to support the government with its Corporate Citizenship projects in Switzerland.

Inspiring Schools and Training Teachers

As a first step, Samsung decided to partner with schools. The goal was to launch a pilot program for digital education – inspirational schools where teachers could learn how to use the possibilities of the fourth industrial revolution. With six strategic partner schools, Samsung is supporting 1,500 teachers and students. These are the schools where I met with young teachers, newly graduated from teaching universities, keen to use tablets and the possibilities of web-based learning during their classes. I also met a teacher who successfully implemented digital education for cooking class. And, finally, I met a brave teacher in her 50s who enriched her French classes using digital technology.

These teachers are the key to solving the digital problem. According the “Global ICT Report 2015” from the World Economic Forum, there was one major mistake made in the past when it came to the digitization of education: The lack of teacher training. This is why Samsung Switzerland supports teacher training. In a partnership with Switzerland’s biggest teaching university, Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich, Samsung is subsidizing an official training course for teachers from public schools. The officially certificated courses are increasing teachers’ understanding about the added value of digital education. And guess what: They are fully booked all the time.

Walking the Extra Digital Mile

I often ask myself how Swiss schools will use digital devices in five years. In my humble opinion, it will be a typical “Swiss Solution”! This means there will not be a single solution, but 26 different approaches with some overlapping goals. It’s a unification of diversification – or, to put it more simply: Take the best and leave the rest. Digital education will not be a separate school subject, but will be integrated into every lesson, be it math, English or geography, as a tool for teaching and for learning.

When asking the President of the Swiss Teachers Association, Beat Zemp, about the roles of companies during the upcoming transition in public schools, he answered very clearly. The government, schools and business should work together closely. Companies like Samsung are most welcome to support the implementation of the upcoming challenges.

Beat Zemp, President of the Swiss Teachers Association.

To be frank, it is more complicated to change a decentralized education system like the one in Switzerland. This is a risk for the country because time matters in a digital and global economy. But, the opportunity for Switzerland is bigger: It will not be the world’s first digital education, but it will be high-quality. Making this change will require all stakeholders to walk the extra mile, but with a joint effort, Switzerland will make it happen.

For fans of science, Serbia is well-known as the birthplace of many world famous scientists from Mihailo Pupin to Mileva Einstein to Milutin Milankovic. However, among these, the name that often first comes to mind when thinking about Serbia and its contributions to the scientific community is the inventor of the modern AC electricity supply system, Nikola Tesla.

Samsung Electronics Adria (SEAD) in cooperation with the Museum of Nikola Tesla in Belgrade, as well as the Institute for Educational Quality and Evaluation, recently organized the local corporate citizenship project ‘Be Like Tesla’ in celebration of the 160th anniversary of Tesla’s birth. With Serbia continuing to face economic challenges and the flight of young people abroad, the project was designed to invest in and raise a new generation of Tesla’s for the future of Serbia.

The ‘Be Like Tesla’ project incorporated multiple program elements designed to raise appreciation for Tesla as well as instill a passion for innovation among students.

‘Be Like Tesla’ Caravan Visits 17 Cities across Serbia

The ‘Be Like Tesla’ project first kicked off at the end of 2015 with the ‘Be Like Tesla’ caravan which toured 17 cities across Serbia over a one-month period. Driving into and parking at a conference hall in the various cities it visited, the caravan housed interactive lectures for students utilizing the technology tools of the Samsung Digital Classroom. All lectures were performed by the popular young Serbian actor Biojan Dimitrijevic, who playing the part of Nikola Tesla, taught children about his life achievements. In total, over 3,000 students visited the caravan during its tour throughout Serbia.

National School Competition and Exhibition at Kalmegdan

In 2016, the ‘Be Like Tesla’ project included a national competition for Serbian primary school students during May and June. Students were tasked to develop an invention inspired by the works of Nikola Tesla with about 150 schools from across Serbia taking part in the competition.

In the lead-up to the announcement of the winner, the ‘Be Like Tesla’ project also organized a major exhibition from June to July at Kalemegdan (aka, the Belgrade Fortress) in Belgrade. One of Serbia’s most important national symbols, the fortress is visited by upwards of 30,000 local and overseas tourists daily. At Kalmegdan, the exhibition featured 90 different panels on both the life and work of Nikola Tesla, as well as the projects of the national school competition finalists.

In addition, a demo of the Samsung Digital Classroom was also organized at Kalmegdan featuring exhibits from the Museum of Nikola Tesla leveraging Samsung VR and other technology.

The Grand Finale: Winner Announced on Tesla’s Birthday

On July 10, the 160^th birthday of Nikola Tesla, more than 5,000 people gathered at Kalmegdan to celebrate the winner of the national school competition. Dignatories on hand for the event included Sinisa Mali, the Mayor of Belgrade, other high-ranking state and city officials, representatives of the Nikola Tesla Museum, media, and Samsung representatives. During the proceedings, a live video stream from the Tesla Science Center in New York was also organized.

For the grand prize, primary school Mihajlo Pupin from Zemun, Belgrade was awarded for its project “Carousel.” The project featured operation of a toy carousel with a smartphone and sound recognition technology, leveraging wireless data transmission, one of Nikola Tesla’s inventions. As an award, the school and students received a fully-equipped Samsung Digital Classroom.

In addition, the jury also decided to award two more schools with Samsung TVs for their outstanding innovation and creativity including Sreten Mladenovic Mika from the city Nis for its project “Tesla’s Tower in Minecraft-u,” and elementary school IV Kraljevacki Battalion from Kraljevo for its video work, “Be Like Tesla.”

Following announcement of the winners, a Samsung representative also announced a three-year plan for continuing cooperation with the Museum of Nikola Tesla to further raise interest in science among Serbia’s youth leveraging the latest technology.

To celebrate both a great event and a successful project, the night also featured a special demonstration of a replica transformer, based on the model which Nikola Tesla constructed in Colorado Springs in 1899. The device uses modern technology and can produce voltages from 12 million volts, while its sparks can reach up to nine meters. The unique sight at Kalemegdan was watched live by thousands marking a striking end to a truly remarkable night.

Samsung Electronics today announced that HRH The Duke of Rothesay recently attended the official opening of the Prince’s Trust Scotland Centre in Glasgow, which was created to increase young people’s access to training and employment opportunities.

As part of the grand opening, HRH met a number of young people who have been supported by The Prince’s Trust Scotland, finding out about their journeys with The Prince’s Trust. During the visit, HRH participated in a range of activities including digital pancake cooking, robot building, puppet-making workshops and exploring the Samsung Digital Classroom.

In the last four decades The Prince’s trust has given over 825,000 disadvantaged young people the skills and confidence to find a job. Three in four young people who receive help from The Prince’s Trust move into work, training or education.

Samsung has been a supporter of The Prince’s Trust since 2012 through The Prince’s Trust & Samsung Celebrate Success Awards and has been introducing Digital Classrooms into its Centres.  Each Digital Classroom, equipped with an interactive whiteboard, Galaxy tablets, PCs and digital cameras, creates an enhanced interactive learning environment and gives young people an opportunity to pick up vital digital skills.

Aleyne Johnson, Head of Government Relations and Citizenship, Samsung UK said:

“We are honoured to have received a visit to one of our digital classrooms from HRH The Duke of Rothesay. At Samsung, we are committed to enhancing the lives of young people through technology and for the last three years we have been working hard to establish Digital Classrooms at schools and youth employment centres across the UK, providing young people with access to the tools and technology they need to succeed, as well as teacher training and connectivity, with the aim of making lessons more enjoyable and engaging.”

Samsung is continuing to work closely with The Prince’s Trust to introduce technology initiatives, embedding digital and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills across its programmes. In addition to Glasgow, Samsung Digital Classrooms have been opened at The Trust’s centres in Stoke-on-Trent and Kennington in London.

About Samsung’s Citizenship Programmes

Samsung is committed to help close the digital divide and skills gap in the UK. Samsung Digital Classrooms in schools, charities/non-profit organisations and cultural partners provide access to the latest technology. Samsung is also providing the training and maintenance support necessary to help make the transition and integration of the new technology as smooth as possible.  Samsung also offers qualifications and training in technology for young people and teachers through its Digital Academies in London and Birmingham. These initiatives will inspire young people, staff and teachers to learn and teach in new exciting ways and to help encourage young people into careers using technology.

Find out more: www.samsung.com/uk/citizenship

The President of the Acropolis Museum, Dimitris Pantermalis welcomed the event and mentioned that: “The Acropolis Museum is a living organism, which communicates with people. Having the cutting edge of Samsung as an ally, the scientific work of the museum can be spread to the public through a creative and innovative way, “and continued:” On behalf of the Acropolis Museum, I would like to thank Samsung for their excellent cooperation. The enthusiasm and the latest technology are two of the most important factors contributing to our work, which is to transfer knowledge to young and older people.”

The digital classroom’s program includes advanced equipment, composed of e-board, laptops and tablets as well as a 20-hours training program. Additionally, in the context of the program relevant content has been already developed in cooperation with the Acropolis Restoration Service.

The President of Samsung Electronics Hellas, Kyoungil Min, stated during his speech: “We are proud of our cooperation with the Acropolis Museum and for the opportunity to enhance the digital experience of the Museum’s young friends. The Acropolis Museum, which is the birthplace of culture and of history of thousands of years, offers now a modern and innovative experience of education, utilizing cutting edge technology and new media” and also added: “I would like to thank the archaeologists who embraced the program and cooperated with us for the development of the content. This project would not have been implemented without their valuable contribution”.

Samsung in cooperation with the Acropolis Restoration Service and the Acropolis Museum have already begun the development of content which enables the use of the digital classroom at its full extent. The beginning was the enrichment of the educational program “Olympia Enigmas” which addresses to primary school students. It starts as an exploration game where the students look for the gods of Olympus at the halls of the Museum having the guidance of Iris, the messenger of the gods. The educational program aims to familiarize students with the symbols and the characteristics of the gods of Olympus. The program includes a handicraft workshop titled “Create your own god” and completes with an interactive educational game which takes place at the digital classroom.

It is worth mentioning that the new digital classroom is the first “classroom” which is set up in a Museum in Greece while in Europe four have been installed: two in Great Britain at the British Museum and at the Victoria & Albert Museum, one in Italy at the Gallerie dell’ Accademia Museum and one in Romania at the “Grigore Antipa” National History Museum.

Samsung Digital Classroom in London, United Kingdom, recently received a visit from some highly prestigious guests.  Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales marked the 40th anniversary of The Prince’s Trust by visiting one of the charity’s Centres in Kennington, South London.  The visit saw the Royal dignitaries hear from young people about how The Trust has helped them find employment or get into education and training.  This included a visit to the Centre’s Samsung Digital Classroom to see how the technology is making an impact on the interactivity of their lessons.

In the last four decades The Prince’s Trust has given over 825,000 disadvantaged young people the skills and confidence to find a job. Three in four young people who receive help from The Prince’s Trust move into work, training or education.

Samsung has been a supporter of The Prince’s Trust since 2012 through The Prince’s Trust & Samsung Celebrate Success Awards and has been introducing Digital Classrooms into its Centres.  Each Digital Classroom, equipped with an interactive whiteboard, Galaxy tablets, PCs and digital cameras, creates an enhanced interactive learning environment and gives young people an opportunity to pick up vital digital skills.  The Samsung Digital Classroom at the Kennington Centre opened its doors in March 2014.

Aleyne Johnson, Head of Government Relations and Citizenship, Samsung UK said:

“We are honoured to have received a visit to one of our digital classrooms from Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales.  Samsung shares the desire of The Prince’s Trust to enhance the lives of young people.  The classroom at The Prince’s Trust is part of our wider Digital Classrooms programme, now in its third year.  We have been working hard to establish Digital Classrooms at schools across the UK, providing them with access to Samsung’s technology, but also teacher training and connectivity, with the aim of making lessons more enjoyable and engaging.”

A recent survey, commissioned by Samsung, of young people attending the Kennington Centre has revealed the technology is already making an impact on their experiences.  Of young people surveyed at end of 2015 (who had taken part in the programme since January 2015):

• 82% said that using a computer in lessons makes learning more interesting
• 76% said they’d ‘learnt a lot’ in the Samsung Digital Classroom
• 64% agreed with the statement ‘I worked more effectively with my classmates when in the Samsung Digital Classroom’

The findings are reflected in the comments of one of the Centre’s tutors.  William O’Connor, Literacy, Language and Numeracy Tutor, said:

“The sessions I run really benefit from the interactive screen in the Samsung suite.  It is a great way to energise the young people as it gets them up on their feet and brings a tactile, hands on aspect to the session.  Being able to display apps/programmes on such a large screen really services to bring them to life and increases their impact.”

Samsung is continuing to work closely with The Prince’s Trust to introduce technology initiatives, embedding digital and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills across its programmes.  Beyond London, Samsung Digital Classrooms have been opened at The Trust’s Centres in Stoke-on-Trent and Glasgow.

About Samsung’s Citizenship Programmes

Samsung is committed to help close the digital divide and skills gap in the UK. Samsung Digital Classrooms in schools, charities/non-profit organisations and cultural partners provide access to the latest technology. Samsung is also providing the training and maintenance support necessary to help make the transition and integration of the new technology as smooth as possible.  Samsung also offers qualifications and training in technology for young people and teachers through its Digital Academies in London and Birmingham. These initiatives will inspire young people, staff and teachers to learn and teach in new exciting ways and to help encourage young people into careers using technology. Find out more: www.samsung.com/uk/citizenship 

About The Prince’s Trust

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1976, this year it is celebrating 40 years of supporting 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion.

Many of the young people helped by The Prince’s Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness or mental health problems, or they have been in trouble with the law. The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training.

The Prince’s Trust has supported 825,000 young people in the last 40 years and supports over 100 more each day.