To help preserve indigenous peoples’ cultural legacy, on March 6, Samsung Electronics Taiwan partnered with the Council of Indigenous Peoples and National Chengchi University to launch a digital learning program that supports conservation through education.

The government organization selected 10 indigenous schools from 8 tribes to take part in the first stage of the project – the latest initiative of Samsung’s Smart School program – and the university contributed resources and expertise, designing a curriculum that leverages Samsung technology to create interactive lessons that immerse students in the rich cultures of their ancestors.

Indigenous languages and traditions are rarely jotted down in textbooks. Rather, they’re preserved by tribal elders, who share their culture’s unique tribal rituals, ceremonies and festivals not in formal classrooms but against the backdrop of nature. The digital learning program allows students to experience these aspects of their heritage virtually, utilizing Samsung mobile devices to foster first-hand educational experiences in similar ‘natural’ settings.

Such digitalization may ultimately allow indigenous knowledge to be better preserved, shared and passed down to future generations.

During the program’s kick-off ceremony, Jaeyub Lee, President of Samsung Electronics Taiwan, described participating in the program as an honor. “We are glad to collaborate with the Council of Indigenous Peoples through the digital learning program – our Samsung Smart School program focusing on indigenous education,” he said. “We look forward to seeing Samsung technology and devices applied in rural tribes and real-world scenarios, and creating fruitful results in indigenous education. It is our privilege to provide children with a friendly learning environment where tradition and technology blend into one, to accelerate indigenous education, digitalization and preservation.”

A Council of Indigenous Peoples representative replied by saying, “We are grateful for Samsung’s support and devotion toward government policy. With digitalization and innovative application, we look forward to seeing breakthroughs in the preservation of indigenous peoples’ cultural legacies and assets.”

A Wish is Heard, and Hope is Sparked

In July 2016, Samsung Electronics Taiwan (SET) received an invitation from the Make-A-Wish Foundation International to donate a Samsung Galaxy S7 to make a courageous child’s wish come true. This led to an introduction with A-Fu, a 15-year-old boy diagnosed with leukemia. Before undergoing challenging medical treatment, A-Fu enjoyed taking pictures of the beauty in everyday life, particularly in the Buddha statues found in temples around Taiwan. Despite hospitalization, A-Fu’s passion for photography has endured. A-Fu yearned to record the bright side of his life in the hospital, but needed a smartphone in order to do so, leading him to make his wish. SET heard of A-Fu’s wish through its partnership with Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital. On August 10, much to his surprise and delight, SET gifted A-Fu a Samsung Galaxy S7 to help him capture the beauty he sees in everyday life.

Helping More Children in Hospitals

After fulfilling A-Fu’s wish, SET discovered that an average of 500 children are diagnosed with cancer in Taiwan every year. Like A-Fu, they’re in hospitals undergoing challenging treatment, which see many hospitalized for an average of three months. Unfortunately, such medical difficulties make the concept of going to school to learn with their peers more dream than reality. With these children’s pressing educational needs in mind, and in an effort to introduce more fun to help alleviate their pain, SET proposed to build a Samsung Smart School within a hospital, and invited Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital to partner in the effort.

Opening Up the First Hospital-Based Smart School

Thus, on January 4, 2017, the first hospital-based Samsung Smart School officially opened at Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital. Featuring two spacious classrooms equipped with tablets and TVs, the facility’s design reflects those of other Smart Schools established in Taiwan. Both classrooms have been enhanced to create a motivating and entertaining digital learning environment, and feature tablets pre-installed with educational apps that enable children to learn in convenient and engaging ways.

More Partnerships Bring More Fun to Learning

Having successfully implemented the first-of-its-kind Smart School, SET is now inviting more hospitals, social workers, volunteers, art therapists and other relevant parties to partner in efforts that will provide more children access to diverse and enriching educational resources. Hospitals may utilize tablets as a new means to carry out routine health education initiatives with parents and children. Hospital volunteers may also adopt digital content as an innovative way to promote more learning. Through hospital-based Smart Schools and promising partnerships, Samsung believes more enriching, child-oriented resources may be adopted and more educational content may be delivered. Most importantly, initiatives such as this will help SET achieve its goal of providing hospitalized children equal access to digital learning opportunities in smart and fun ways.