Summary

• In spring and summer 2018, Samsung Electronics Germany (SEG) ran a series of Coding Class Trips in collaboration with the Technology Foundation Berlin
• School classes from all over Germany applied for the program by submitting their ideas for workshops, six of which were selected for the pilot project
• The idea is to use these field trips as the students’ first serious interaction with coding in order to spark interest, give programming real-world context and transfer it into the school environment

With the digital revolution in full swing, how should we prepare for a digital future and decide what form should it take? One aspect is education. Preparing the next generation requires helping them understand everyday technologies and learn the skills to use technologies to their advantages. While coding is regarded as a necessity for a basic understanding of the digital world, teachers often lack the time and materials required to do this. That’s why Samsung Electronics and Technology Foundation Berlin created Coding Class Trips.

As part of the workshops on their field trips the kids received a “Samsung Code Week Box” which contained coding equipment

During the six pilot workshops, children were given time to explore coding and to learn programming through real-world problems. For example, during one Class Trip to Usedom on the Baltic Sea, the children investigated the impact of waste on the environment. They built weather-sensitive robots from recycled products which could swim, dive and avoid obstacles.

Students from Berlin WIR Elementary School testing their swimming robot in the Baltic Sea

On another trip to the North Sea island of Wangerooge, the main topic was renewable energy. Children experimented by building their own windmills out of plastic bottles and so were able to combine their first coding experience with a major socio-political issue.

On the North Sea island of Wangerooge, the children built small windmills from plastic bottles

By putting children’s first coding experience into a specific context, Samsung Electronics Germany and Technology Foundation Berlin have created a unique project that will inspire the younger generation to discover the potential of digital technologies in the long-term.

“The Coding Class Trips offer a terrific opportunity for students to get out of the classroom, get motivated to learn coding, and get creative through problem solving and encountering new technologies and skills,” explains Steffen Ganders, Director of Corporate Affairs, Samsung Electronics Germany. “At Samsung, we are committed to the future of digital education. Our project is a paradigm for a new education culture and highlights that learning should not be limited to the classroom.”

For more information on what happened in the Coding Class Trips, please visit the social hub site here.

Video

Youtuber RobBubble joined the Coding Class Trip to Wangerooge

Additional Images

Kids on the Coding Class Trip in Dresden programmed their own sensor Olympic Games

The class from Wedding School Berlin proudly present the robot, which can move, play music, shine light from his eyes and has a sound-controlled abdominal valve that can be used as a storage space

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.

While a considerable proportion of the students at the refugee camp attend schools established by the Jordanian government, there are many who receive no formal schooling. The situation of these out-of-school children strikes at the heart of Samsung’s goals to provide equal opportunities in education to underserved communities and easier access to information and technology.

Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the smart schools offer students an engaging and creative approach to learning. The interactive learning environments give students the chance to learn about a variety of technology-related topics which will help them unleash their potential and creativity, including modern languages, social media, photography, filmmaking, art and painting.

The two smart schools are housed within Makani centers, which offer alternative education opportunities to those aged between 5 and 24. Founded by UNICEF, Makani centers emphasize a holistic approach for Syrian children and youths who have struggled with formal education in Jordan, offering learning opportunities, psychosocial support services and life skills training. By reengaging students in their education, Makani centers can provide a bridge back to formal education.

Changsup Lee, Samsung Electronics Levant President remarked, “We have a duty as part of the local community to help improve access to education in the Zaatari Camp. Though considerable effort has already been made to improve education in the Zaatari Camp, there is more work to be done and we are excited for the partnership with Relief International. These fully equipped smart schools will provide them with an engaging educational environment, allowing them to develop valuable life skills, which will ultimately broaden their knowledge and understanding.”

“At Samsung, we believe in what technology can achieve. Technology is a source of inspiration for those kids who need to build a brighter future. The ability to innovate is a valuable tool in building a normal life and will prepare them for a better, more hopeful future.”

“We have already seen children who were disinterested in formal schooling become highly engaged in creative and meaningful projects. Based on that enthusiasm, many have found the desire to further their formal schooling as well, realizing that gives them tools to achieve their dreams,” noted Nancy Wilson, CEO of Relief International. “These smart schools will provide very powerful tools for them to be creative in more ways, increase their collaboration and strive for even bigger dreams. We are proud to be partnering with Samsung on this leadership initiative.”

Established in 2013, Samsung’s Smart School program equips classrooms in underserved communities with cutting-edge educational tools – such as PCs, tablets and electronic blackboards – to create interactive learning environments that allow students to truly thrive. As of this writing, a total of over 3,000 Smart Schools are up and running in over 90 countries around the globe.

So far, the initiative has supported over 3,000 schools that have allowed well over 1.4 million bright young minds to learn in more fun and interactive environments. As is the case with Samsung’s Tech Institutes and other education-enriching initiatives, the ultimate goal of the Smart School program is to level the playing field to help students in these communities thrive in the digital era.

Accessible Education for All

According to the 2016 UN Sustainable Development Goals report, some 124 million children and teenagers worldwide were unable to receive a proper education due to financial costs and lack of accessibility in 2013, the latest year for which data are available. Because education is a major determinant of one’s quality of life, not to mention the general well-being of a community, Samsung has made an effort to improve access to education through its Smart School initiatives.

For example, Samsung’s African Regional Head Office has jointly operated solar-powered internet schools throughout Africa in cooperation with the Korea Education & Research Information Service (KERIS) under the Korean Ministry of Education since 2011. Equipped with Samsung’s tablets, PCs,  and other devices, the schools motivate students through captivating lessons taught by local, KERIS-trained teachers. Similarly, Smart School’s Engineering Academy in Nairobi provides tailored curriculum for those pursuing careers in engineering.

Today, 78 Smart Schools are operated in 10 African nations including Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.

Meanwhile, in Taiwan, an estimated 500 children are diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized for months of arduous treatment. Because such medical difficulties often make it impossible for them to attend school with their peers, in January, Samsung Electronics Taiwan (SET) partnered with Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital to open the very first hospital-based Smart School.

Designed to create a motivating learning environment, the Smart School features TVs and tablets pre-installed with educational apps that allow children to learn in fun and engaging ways. In this way, hospitalized children are able to regain a sense of normalcy without falling behind in their studies.

Empowering Young Women Through Digital Education

Despite the fact that many countries throughout the world have worked to close gender gaps in education and labor force participation, many gender differences still persist. Women, for example, are less likely to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – areas collectively known as STEM.

Recognizing this, Samsung established the Smart School’s Female Academy Program in Ghana. Here, women attend a series of training sessions facilitated by knowledgeable field experts. Through their education, the female participants are equipped with the tools they need to pursue STEM fields.

Likewise, Samsung’s North American Regional Head Office, in collaboration with Discovery Education, an NGO dedicated to coding education, offers an extra-curricular program to fourth and fifth grade girls. Offering a wide range of hands-on computer programming and electronic training activities, emPOWER Tomorrow helps girls develop an interest in science, technology, and coding. Furthermore, they are given the opportunity to meet with Samsung’s female scientists and engineers to explore future career options.

Enriching the Learning Experience

Perhaps no other learning tool is more effective than technology. With classroom technology, educators can get more students engaged, improve collaboration, and most importantly make learning fun.

For instance, when Samsung launched its Digital Classroom program to address digital skills gaps in the UK in 2013, it outfitted a total of 15 digital classrooms with a complete suite of educational tools including tablets, laptops, and an interactive whiteboard. Samsung’s research findings that were announced last September underlined the great strides that the students made in developing digital skills, and showed that, overall, those who took part demonstrated much greater confidence and teamwork.

Meanwhile, in Bulgaria earlier this year, Samsung Bulgaria and Junior Achievement Bulgaria partnered with the State Archives to digitize some 22,000 valuable historical documents as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the country’s national heritage. The three-way partnership resulted in the nation’s first fully digitized lessons in history, literature and the arts, which will allow students in Smart Schools and in classrooms across the country to study and experience new facets of their country’s rich history.

Across the world, Samsung Electronics Taiwan established yet another first-of-its-kind Smart School – one that allowed students at three different schools in various corners of the country to simultaneously tour Taiwan’s Museum of Contemporary Art. In the ‘co-learning connected course,’ one school served as host, livestreaming a tour of the museum using Samsung’s Gear 360 and Galaxy S8, while the others followed along remotely from their classrooms. After the tour, the schools competed against one another in a fun pop quiz utilizing Samsung tablets.

By establishing more Smart Schools in different corners of the world, Samsung aspires to arm the next generation with the tools they’ll need to better connect with one another, quench their thirst for knowledge, and ultimately conquer the challenges of tomorrow.

Samsung has been working closely with HFHI since 2013 and looks forward to continuing its efforts with HFHI to provide assistance to communities across the world. From launching Samsung Solar Powered Internet School in South Africa and Zambia, to building and renovating houses for hundreds of families all around the world, Samsung accomplished a myriad of successful projects its strong partnership with HFHI.

Part of the SamsungCare program, the ‘Building Homes and Community for Hope’ campaign seeks to improve the quality of life through better access to education and local facilities. The campaign saw the construction of a Samsung Smart Library, a community function hall and maintenance and repairs of 31 local residences. SamsungCare program also provides Rowosari citizens the opportunity for digital education, opening new doors for the community.

The community center was equipped with 18 Samsung Galaxy A tablets, internet connectivity, and a 50 inch Samsung television, along with comfortable seating for 50. The new community center facilitates easy access to digital books, internet access, or any other activity one might seek with the new tech at their disposal. The community center also offers a space for a local woman’s group to train female youth in essential skills needed to be more competitive in the workforce.

Kanghyun Lee, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Samsung Electronics Indonesia, noted “At Samsung, success is not only measured by business achievement, but also from how well we serve the community and make a difference in people’s lives through our Corporate Citizenship programs. We hope that the people of Rowosari will take advantage of the facilities and technologies we provided and launched today, to be more productive and have happier lives.”

31 families were provided comfortable homes that meet global standards set by HFH Indonesia. Such standards ensure proper construction methods, access to adequate amounts of clean water, modern sanitation, as well as a set minimum space. Choosing the location was done through close consultation with local authorities, as well as input from local communities. Taking great pride in the development of their own community, the Rowosari Villagers were very engaged throughout the process.

Providing education to promote future independent growth and development is essential to all Samsung CSR activities. Thus, Samsung and HFHI also provided basic construction technique training, as well as digital education through the Samsung Smart Library, to ensure the changes the program brought to the community will continue moving forward.

On March 27, Samsung Vietnam introduced the 2017 edition of its Samsung Talent Program (STP), which aims to nurture local information technology (IT) and electronics-telecommunications (ET) talent through scholarships, specialized courses and research and career opportunities. This year, STP will expand to nine universities and include resources worth VND 8.5 billion in total value, making this the program’s largest undertaking yet.

Since launching in 2012, STP has awarded 360 scholarships worth VND 10 billion in total value; sponsored Samsung Labs at multiple universities; provided Java, Android, Tizen, Algorithm Application and Korean courses for over 3,400 students; and invested more than VND 5 billion in various research projects.

This year, STP will award 120 scholarships to senior IT and ET students studying at the participating universities, which are located in the northern part of the country. In order to be eligible, students must be in good academic standing and participate in a programming contest and interview. The best candidates will receive a one-year, VND 54 million scholarship and a chance to work at Samsung Vietnam’s Mobile R&D Center (SVMC) in Hanoi.

The program also includes various initiatives designed to promote Vietnamese tech students’ development.

STP 2017’s Algorithm Application course will be open to all students at participating universities who enjoy programming. The ultimate goal of the course is to provide 1,500 students with access to programming lessons taught by experienced faculty members.

Samsung Vietnam also funds hands-on, which offer university students opportunities to participate in research, engineering seminars and group activities, and sponsors students’ participation in software design and programming contests.

STP 2017’s new Business Internship Program, meanwhile, will select 500 IT and ET students for internships at SVMC. Students will gain valuable experience, receive training in algorithm application, and develop advanced analytical and problem-solving skills that will help them secure a position at an IT corporation after graduation.

The program will also put approximately VND 3.5 billion toward university-proposed mobile technology research and studies to benefit local communities. These projects will provide students with even more opportunities to hone their skills with hands-on, practical experience.

His true calling, however, lay in the machinery and electronics he had a knack for fixing. He was fascinated by how the intricate systems worked, but despite his skills, he lacked access to the type of formal education that would nurture his natural talent and open doors to a world of new and exciting opportunities.

That all changed when the aspiring engineer found the Samsung Tech Institute and made the 2,000-kilometer journey from his remote village to the Suzhou-based campus.

Today, having excelled at the institute and become a full-fledged engineer, the former shepherd works at a Samsung customer service center in bustling Shanghai, where he spends his days utilizing his diverse skills to help customers stay connected. Follow Chen’s dream from inception to realization in the video below, which serves as more proof that sparks of talent may be found in all places.

The Samsung Tech Institute works with universities and governments to create jobs and nurture young, local talent with the formal training necessary to fill them. Since 2013, the institutes have opened doors for nearly 40,000 students in 32 countries.

MolenGeek, a relatively new initiative born from a public-private partnership, is no ordinary workspace. Here, young entrepreneurs in the neighborhood can use the space to launch their own innovative startup, while being surrounded by like-minded participants and having access to professional training resources.

This initiative brings positive hope for all young people of Molenbeek, a neighborhood that was once tied to terrorism, most recently after the 2016 bombings in Brussels. In fact, key national Belgian media have reported how Molenbeek’s young citizens of all ethnic backgrounds, genders and religions are harnessing their potential to build a brighter future, through projects like MolenGeek. These projects will hopefully help reduce the high youth unemployment rate in the area – which now exceeds 30 percent. A whopping 136 young entrepreneurs have already joined MolenGeek, and are actively building their own projects and cultivating their skills through various training programs.

In the coming months, the center is expected to offer a host of new programs for participants of different age groups. While the majority of the MolenGeek community is over the age of 18, children between 7 and 12 will soon be able to attend digital workshops, while youngsters between 12 and 18 can join the Supercoders program, where they can learn more about coding.

Additionally, regular Hackathon events will continue to be held, allowing young minds to collaborate to create new products and services that can help alleviate societal challenges. Last year, the projects were centered on improving emergency services and facilitating mobility for people with disabilities. In 2017, they will turn their focus to creating a circular economy and enhancing education.

In this way, MolenGeek is not only tackling youth unemployment but also empowering participants to use their skills and knowledge to build a better world.

On January 13, one year of hard work culminated in the official inauguration of the business center. During the ceremony, key representatives of the public-private partnership behind MolenGeek, such as Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Agenda Alexander De Croo and United States Ambassador Denise Campbell Bauer, applauded the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the center’s young talents, and acknowledged the added value of its corporate partnerships.

The members of the MolenGeek community were eager to present the products of their work, such as a virtual reality app to simulate the challenges that people with disabilities experience when using public transport.

While the federal government backs these creative minds with considerable support for the new business center, companies like Samsung and Google are helping out by bringing in logistic support and digital expertise.Samsung will not only support the MolenGeek community with its products, but also through the sharing of the knowledge and experience of its employees. By engaging its experts, Samsung hopes to help train the young talents at MolenGeek about the newest trends in the digital technology sector, and coach them while they develop their ideas in key digital fields such as the Internet of Things.

“Samsung, as a corporate citizen, is pleased to help young people gain valuable skills that will help them find a job in the 21st century, while also inspiring, empowering and cooperating with young digital entrepreneurs,” said Hoon Chung, President of Samsung Electronics Benelux.

Through its partnership with MolenGeek, Samsung remains committed to empowering the young people of the world to grow as entrepreneurs and to become leaders of innovation in society.

The individual pictured is European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen, and the photo was taken during the European Pact for Youth conference on November 24, which was jointly organized by CSR Europe and the European Commission. While many prominent companies were represented at the conference, Samsung had the privilege of being the only company given the opportunity to demonstrate a solution for how immersive technology can be used to inspire education.

Partnerships for Education

Samsung has invested in the European Pact for Youth initiative, which brings together representatives from business, education and the European Union to fight youth unemployment in Europe, for the last three years. During that span, Samsung’s citizenship programs have reached nearly 400,000 young people across the continent, equipping teachers and creating opportunities for students to learn new digital skills. Samsung has also been a key player in encouraging further business and education partnerships across Europe through its CSR Europe board membership.

Although the European Pact for Youth has equipped thousands of young people with new digital skills and the confidence to seize future employment opportunities, unemployment and a digital-skills gap continue to exist in European society. To address these issues, Samsung will continue to strengthen its business and education collaborations—cooperating in an anticompetitive manner at all levels of education, and continuing to nurture the digitally literate workforce of the future.

A Whole New Way of Learning

The Gear VR biology lesson demoed at the conference was yet another example of how Samsung is reimagining ways in which technology may be used in the classroom.

To design it, Samsung Germany collaborated with Cornelsen, one of the leading providers of high-quality educational media in German-speaking countries. Together, the partners developed immersive material that takes students on a journey beyond the confines of their biology textbook and into the human body itself.

The lesson was simple yet effective. One student was given a tablet displaying information on relevant scientific principles while the other was presented with vivid animations of organs and biological processes in action on the Gear VR.

“Studying biology through the Gear VR was a very cool and new experience,” said one of the participating students, after experiencing a lesson with the technology for the first time. “I’ve never tried anything like it before,” she continued. “It felt much easier and more fun to learn, and most of all, it was easy to understand because I saw it with my own eyes.”

When presented with the prospect of studying with the engaging technology on a regular basis, the student’s response was enthusiastic. “I want to use VR in my class to study as soon as possible!” she said.

Stories Reflect Success

To assess the success of its educational initiatives, Samsung could point to the more than 1,300 Smart Classrooms and 65 Tech Institutes it’s created, and the nearly 400,000 young students who have benefited from these programs since 2013. Such figures, however, do not speak nearly as loudly as the stories behind them.

The accounts of the inspirational teachers and talented students who are already well on their way toward becoming the innovators of tomorrow are what inspire Samsung to innovate and enhance the learning experience. Because everyone, no matter what barriers may lie in their way, has the right to a quality education.

For centuries, libraries have been regarded as founts of knowledge and history – repositories in which to preserve vital wisdom to pass down from generation to generation. Each, regardless of its nature – from the Vatican’s Secret Archives to the massive Library of Congress – was built to ensure that humankind’s progress would not be lost to the sands of time.

In this digital age, however, it’s easy for physical books and libraries to become afterthoughts. The ubiquity of e-books, PDFs and word documents – instantly downloadable via the internet – have diminished our need for them. Libraries must therefore find ways to adapt to changes brought about by our modern conveniences. If they don’t, they’ll no longer serve as storehouses for our knowledge and histories. Rather, they’ll become history themselves.

Samsung recognizes this need for modernization. In an age where a wealth of information on seemingly any topic can be obtained with a quick search of the worldwide web, libraries should be more than just places for people to leisurely read a novel or do some academic research.

Although there’s nothing wrong with silently studying by oneself at a local library, studying with a group can ultimately prove more productive, allowing one’s ideas to be constructively critiqued and their progress to be appraised. While an innovative thought or groundbreaking idea may certainly hatch in the mind of one person, honing such an idea with others’ informed input can go a long way toward improving and realizing it.

Since their respective launches, S.hub Ho Chi Minh and S.hub Hanoi have quickly become hubs for students, professionals and speakers to share their ideas and experiences.

Samsung’s S.hub initiative was born of this philosophy. For it, Samsung teamed up with the Ho Chi Minh City General Science Library and the National Library of Vietnam in Hanoi, whose outdated buildings and equipment have hindered public attendance, to renovate the libraries’ facilities and outfit them with the latest tools and equipment.

S.hub Ho Chi Minh (left) and S.hub Hanoi, after their respective

The goal of the initiative is not only to update the facilities with modern tech like touchscreen monitors and personal tablets, but to also create spaces that can serve as scholarly hubs where people, especially students, may gather and nurture one another’s academic inclinations.

The first S.hub, installed in the Ho Chi Minh City General Science Library, opened its doors in October of last year. S.hub Hanoi, meanwhile, which established a collaborative space for students and young professionals to gather in the Vietnamese capital, launched just a few weeks ago, on November 24.

These successful launches in Vietnam’s largest and most dynamic cities not only mark the triumph of the initiative, but also establish an effective blueprint to install additional S.hubs in cities across Vietnam – and perhaps other countries as well.

Activities during S.hub Ho Chi Minh’s one-year anniversary celebration included bookmark making, as well as a book auction, sale and exchange.

Lefa had always wanted to explore the wider world, and Samsung’s solar-powered internet school effectively placed it at her fingertips. Part of Samsung’s Smart School initiative, these schools provide educationally marginalized students with equal access to educational resources on the web.

The goal of the initiative is to bridge the IT accessibility gap and improve the quality of students’ education by collaborating with governments and appropriate organizations to provide interactive learning opportunities with digital devices. Since 2013, Samsung’s Smart Schools have supported over 200,000 students in 72 countries.

After her Smart School experience, Lefa began a successful career as a PR-marketer in Johannesburg, where she continues to brighten the days of those around her. Follow her journey as she leads another bright young mind on an eye-opening experience with the help of Samsung’s Smart Schools.

When Rodolphe Laidet was just a young boy, he was introduced to the world of computers. It was through these early interactions that he inadvertently recognized his dream of working in the field of technology. He felt his passion for computers grow throughout the years and, as a teenager, dropped out of school to teach himself more about networks and operating systems.

His decision to take the road less traveled was met with much criticism. Facing social prejudice, he came to doubt his abilities, his decisions and even his future. But then he heard about Samsung Campus, a program that was established to cultivate a young and talented workforce and spur job creation through hands-on IT job training. It was here that Rodolphe finally got the opportunity to delve into computer programming in a formal learning environment.

Armed with a broad knowledge, and through the guidance of his mentors, Rodolphe was able to land a job as an engineer. Now, he uses the skills he learned at Samsung Campus to develop new concepts, paradigms and patterns in computer programming to help improve people’s lives. Rodolphe is the perfect example of how hard work and a willingness to overcome challenges can truly make dreams come true.

For the past three years, university students in Myanmar have had the opportunity to take advanced computer and IT courses thanks to an innovative program from Samsung Myanmar. The Samsung Tech Institute: Mobile Application Training is designed to advance knowledge and skills in mobile and digital technology as well as IT and related industries, and ultimately, help young adults gain employment through training and education.

Each year, the program brings together senior students from computer studies universities across the country for a two-month course.

This year, 150 students from across the country will gather at the Yangon University of Computer Studies and Mandalay University of Computer Studies for phase one of the training involving basic mobile application development for the android platform along with theoretical lessons and group practical sessions Another 30 select students will join the second phase of training at the Yangon University of Computer Studies for advanced mobile application training. All students will also be provided with learning aids including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 as well as support for their weekly expenses.

Group photo with the students, teachers, faculties, government officials and Samsung Myanmar officials.

Since 2013, more than 400 students from across Myanmar have had the opportunity to participate in the courses. As a company invested in connecting with young people and society and using technology to create a better world, Samsung Myanmar is proud to support the Mobile Application Trainings as part of the Samsung Tech Institute Initiative.

Aung Si Min Htet, a member of the first-place team at Samsung Tech Institute: Mobile Application Training 2015 with the creation of “Go Go Around” application, is one student who understand the benefits first hand.

“This training gave me opportunities to learn knowledge on mobile application development. Hopefully, I expect Samsung Myanmar offers more similar trainings which can turn out many outstanding mobile application developers.”

Aung Si Min Htet is currently starting his career as a professional android freelance developer.

Maung Linn Myint Kyaw, a student at the University of Computer Studies Yangon, was selected to attend this year’s Institute. As he explains, he is excited for the hands-on opportunity afforded by Samsung.

“I have seen many big companies are doing CSR activities in our country. But, most of them focus on donations of cash and kinds. It is good. But, in my mind, supporting and helping our country turn out outstanding youths and qualified young professionals is the best as our country needs such youths and professionals.”

As a technology company, Samsung Electronics is devoted to preparing the next generation of innovators with the digital and soft skills they need.

Samsung Electronics is just one piece of the wider global network of businesses, governments and civil society supporting teachers and working towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.

Education in Europe

In Europe, one of the biggest issues is high youth unemployment.

Following the financial crisis; too many young people are at risk of being left behind without the skills that their future jobs demand. Education systems sometimes struggle to respond to the changing needs of employers and teachers often lack the support and confidence to adapt how they teach to match the increasingly digital world.

This is why over the last three years, Samsung Electronics has partnered with over 19,000 teachers in Smart Classrooms all over Europe to equip them with the hardware, software and training they need to empower the next generation.

Therefore, on World Teacher’s Day, Samsung Electronics wants to celebrate the teachers who have broken down barriers and gone beyond expectations to use technology to change the face of education.

Erwin Oertli, Switzerland

Going from a zero-wifi school to a lighthouse of digital education, Head teacher Mr. Oertli has broken down many educational barriers!

Based on their experiences as Samsung Citizenship partner in Unteriberg, 2000 Samsung tablets were rolled out to the students and teachers across the district, but the schools still needed to train the teachers in a short space of time.  Head teacher Mr. Oertli knew, that teacher training is the keys for a successful implementation and saw an opportunity to completely switch around the school learning experience.

“I asked students from Unteriberg to do a tech savvy training for teachers to help them understand their devices”

Erwin Oertli is an early adopter and has successfully trained 200 teachers in the biggest 1:1 tablet project in Switzerland.  He is an inspiration to how flexibility and creativity can ensure students never miss out on opportunities to use learn digital skills.

Benjamin Seelisch, Germany

Transforming a school with no wifi and limited funding into a school using the latest technological innovation; this teacher has been taking Neues Gymnasium Rüsselsheim, a secondary school near Frankfurt, on a digital journey since 2011.

Benjamin Seelisch has worked tirelessly to convince the headmaster, find funding and sponsorship to develop this Lighthouse School. The school now has 350 tablets in daily use and the school has won many awards. This teacher continues to be brave and push the boundaries of education as he embarks on his latest project to use VR in the classroom.

“Students are well able to use modern devices on a basic level, only a few know how to work with tablets to increase productivity. Those skills are important for our students when they go on to universities or companies after graduation.”

Liliya Chausheva, Bulgaria

This one teacher has inspired over 300 other educators!

After receiving training from Samsung, she used her passion for expanding digital education to run 15 further trainings. Using the Samsung platform smartclassroom.bg she trained teachers how to attract students to the classroom, inspire them with the technology and embed digital education into their entire learning experience.

Her dedication to passing on her knowledge has potentially changed the learning experience for thousands of students around Bulgaria.

“Digital education is the future. Our students nowadays spend more time online than ever. As their teachers and role models we have to be prepared as well and make educational process attractive, interesting and still productive.

Samsung Electronics partners with many more teachers like these shown above. Future growth of technology in education will continue to bring to the surface these ambitious teachers. They are brave enough to move beyond traditional teaching methods of blackboards and workbooks, to bring the digital world to life for their students.

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!

From Coding Masters to the Global Teacher Prize

One teacher, Jolanta Okuniewska, has completely changed her approach to teaching thanks to the Coding Masters program. A participant every year since the pilot edition of Coding Masters, Ms. Okuniewska is passionate about teaching her students to code. By incorporating coding, along with digital puzzles and games, Ms. Okuniewska is now setting new trends with her teaching methods.

“A tablet nowadays is as common as a pencil case,” said Okuniewska. “While maybe not seen as a necessity, tablet education definitely makes learning more interesting and effective by providing a huge range of tools in one place that is accessible at the touch of a finger.”

For her efforts, Ms. Okuniewska was nominated for the Global Teacher Prize. The Global Teacher Prize is a prestigious award acknowledging teachers who have made outstanding contributions to their profession. It’s amazing to have even been nominated, let alone being one of only 50 teachers selected from a pool of 8,000 instructors from 148 countries.

Continuing to Change the Face of Polish Education

New technology can be a wonderful educational tool for kids. They can use it to search for information, communicate with teachers and friends and play interactive games. With the great success of the Coding Masters program, Samsung continues to help change the face of Polish education with other new initiatives, including Samsung Labo (dedicated to students) and the Coding Master Junior (dedicated to preschoolers).

As Blanka Fijolek, a Coding Masters founder, explained: “In Poland, there are ongoing discussions on including coding in a national curriculum for the younger students. It is important to ensure trainings for the teachers and create conditions for them to share their experiences.”

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.

As a leading technology company, Samsung wants to help young people learn new digital skills and understand the internal mechanisms of their smartphone apps. The company is therefore touring Austria with the expert assistance of the Institute for Software Technology of the Graz University of Technology, giving children aged 8 to 14 a playful look at the world of programming and robotics. “We could no longer imagine our lives without software. It is the engine of our economy and now increasingly permeates our private lives as well. We therefore consider it essential to help children understand the digital technologies of the day in order to shape the future for themselves,” says Martina Friedl, Corporate Citizenship & Public Affairs Manager at Samsung Electronics Austria, on the motivation behind the campaign.

Coding Made Easy

In workshops about 3.5 hours long, the children use the Pocket Code App not only to learn the first steps of programming but also to create their own small apps. The method was developed by university professor Wolfgang Slany and his team at the Institute for Software Technology at the Graz University of Technology. “With Pocket Code, we want to inspire young people to create their own games and interactive stories directly on the smartphone or tablet. Thanks to intuitive, Lego-like programming, no prior knowledge is required,” says Slany. The students have a chance to put what they have learned to the test in the concluding Galaxy Game Jam competition.

Playful Programming for Students in Bregenz as Well

The mobile classroom will be visiting Bregenz starting on July 4th. A total of roughly 160 children are taking part in the workshops. To offer the children a change of scene from their usual classrooms, the workshops are held outdoors when the weather is nice, just a few minutes away from Lake Constance. A tent provides shelter and shade. The yellow school bus itself is not just the visual highlight of the exciting concept: Beanbags invite students to relax creatively, and tinkering materials allow them to build their own robots. Martin Bauer, head of the department II/8 – IT Didactics and Digital Media of the Federal Ministry for Education and Women, is enthusiastic about the initiative: “Programming is a cultural technology of our day. This gives children additional options for becoming producers of their own digital content and media. Programming strengthens digital competence as well as problem-solving skills and promotes logical thinking.”

Stops by the Mobile Classroom “Coding For Kids”:

Tyrol (Hall, Innsbruck), June 6-9

Salzburg (Salzburg city, Bad Hofgastein), June 13-16

Upper Austria (Vöcklabruck), June 20-23

Carinthia (Spittal), June 27-29

Vorarlberg (Bregenz), July 4-7

Styria (Graz), September 13-15

Burgenland (Oberwart), September 19-22

Lower Austria (Gänserndorf), September 26-29

Vienna, October 3-6

More information: http://www.digitalebildung.at

Lack of access to quality education prevents millions of people around the world from escaping the cycle of poverty. In countries where classrooms are crowded, resources are scarce, and higher education and career opportunities are limited, many youth are dissuaded from pursuing their dreams.

Understanding the urgent need for education reform globally, Samsung advocates high-quality, youth-friendly education for all, with an emphasis on eliminating disparities of all kinds.

Working with local governments, members of academia and non-profit organizations around the world, Samsung has established numerous programs that aim to equip the world’s youth with the knowledge and skills they need to advance personally and professionally. Such programs, which have already touched the lives of more than a million people, make full use of Samsung’s technology—a component that holds the power to unlock an individual’s potential to the fullest.

From building IT classrooms in rural communities to engaging students in hands-on STEM learning, Samsung hopes to not only help individuals build great careers, but also to discover future innovations that will allow for a better tomorrow.

Samsung Smart Schools and Samsung Tech Institute are two of the company’s major ongoing citizenship programs that aim to enhance digital learning skills and thus ensure a brighter future for all.

Samsung Smart Schools: Powering Education with Technology

The Samsung Smart School program was designed to bridge the IT accessibility gap between social classes, and foster creative talents by providing interactive education that draws on digital devices. In addition, the curriculum of the program, created especially by Samsung, enhances the educational experience for students aged 6 to 16 by utilizing more effective—and entertaining—teaching methods.

Amelia Smith, a head teacher at Braunstone Frith Primary School in Leicester, notes that her students have been incredibly receptive to the program.

“The Smart School has shown us where we want to be. Samsung has helped us along the path we wanted to go, to enable all children to become independent learners.”

The environment of the Samsung Smart School not only allows students and teachers to better connect and communicate via tech devices, but also provides opportunities for marginalized students to build IT expertise, an essential employability skill.

Promoting Digital Education in All Corners of the Globe

Currently, Samsung is working to expand the initiative so that even more students can benefit from it.

In Germany, specifically, Samsung Electronics GmbH has emphasized the value of IT education and the importance of digital competiveness in today’s workforce. It has captured the attention of both the nation’s government and educational organizations through its implementation of various projects aimed at reforming less developed digital education.

Two of these projects include the Rethinking Digital Education program, which supports digital public education, and the Code Week Award, a training program that encourages Germany’s youth to creatively explore the possibilities of the future.

Samsung Smart School initiatives have also been established in 13 Latin American countries, where great focus has been placed on training teachers and building an effective digital curriculum, as well as throughout Russia.

Perhaps the most notable Samsung Smart School in Russia is located inside the Dmitriy Rogachev Federal Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology.

It is here that long-term patients can access a full curriculum developed by the nation’s most renowned professors, with Samsung’s electronic boards and tablets.

Patients who complete courses at the Samsung Smart School become qualified to take Russia’s Unified State Exam. They also receive the same graduate certificate they would from an ordinary school, meaning that unpredicted health setbacks don’t have to disrupt their studies—or their dreams.

At the Samsung Smart Learning Centers in Thailand, more than 80,000 students have participated and worked to solve social problems with digital devices. These students have also been provided with Samsung Discovery Kits to explore various career options.

Likewise, Korean students participating in Samsung’s Junior Software Academy utilize digital materials that help them to think logically and solve problems in a creative way, thus gaining leadership skills and discovering new passions.

“Before I took part in the Junior Software Academy, I didn’t have any particular dream for the future,” notes Yoo-bin Roh, an elementary school student and participant of the program. “Now, however, I have discovered two treasures: my dream of becoming a programmer and my ability to create great programs that can change the world.”

Samsung Tech Institute: Hands-On Training for Career Development

The Samsung Tech Institute, which currently operates 191 branches worldwide, was established to cultivate a young and talented workforce and spur job creation through hands-on IT job training.

The institutes are operated in conjunction with universities and local governments, and each is customized to meet the specific needs of the country in which it operates.

For example, programs conducted in developing markets might offer training for customer service engineers, while those in more economically developed countries are designed to support software experts.

Young people who have partaken in Samsung’s Tech Institutes have not only have had better employment opportunities, but are also now contributing to the development of their own regional communities.

In 2014, the company founded Samsung Campus, a two-year tech institute in France, to help non-graduates find employment.

Operated by ZUP de CO, an NGO supporting underprivileged youth and EPITECH, a specialized IT educational institute, Samsung Campus provides over 1,600 hours of curriculum, covering areas such as web design and mobile app development. In addition, the program offers coaching sessions and a one-on-one mentoring program with Samsung France employees, imbuing students with confidence and a better understanding of the business environment in which they will evolve.

Already, a large number of program participants have been accepted into long-term internship programs, while others are exploring career opportunities they never thought possible.

“I used to spend all day distributing my resume to different businesses. Now I am contacted regularly about jobs I haven’t even applied for,” notes one program graduate. “The Samsung Campus helped me regain confidence in myself—and my future. My professional outlook has completely changed.”

Securing Jobs, Instilling Confidence

Samsung also operates eight Samsung Tech Institutes in China—a country that has recently seen a growing interest in technology and job training. Like those in France, these institutes aim to foster a young and innovative workforce in order to help resolve youth unemployment and improve awareness about technical jobs.

The facilities offer service skill training to young people in association with the Samsung Electronics (Beijing) Service Company (SBSC). Many individuals who have completed the course currently work at SBSC as service engineers while others, like Ren Kang of Shaanxi Province, hope to pursue their own enterprises.

Kang traveled to Brazil in 2015 to compete in the WorldSkills Competition—a tournament in which China claimed first prize—but felt truly empowered only after attending the Samsung Tech Institute.

“While learning about my current job, I became more confident in what I was doing through feedback from my boss, as well as from customer compliments,” Kang explains. “Now I dream of opening my own product repair center, thanks to the Samsung Tech Institute.”

Through the continuation of programs such as Samsung Smart School and Samsung Tech Institute, the company hopes to continue to open doors to a world of new possibilities for all individuals, regardless of their geographic location, educational background or financial situation.