Samsung Electronics Germany took part in Girls’ Day by organizing experience zones that featured activities designed to nurture young women’s digital skills and introduce them to career opportunities in information technology.

Background

Organized annually since 2001 in Germany, Girls’ Day is a nationwide activity supported by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Hundreds of companies and organizations take part, offering young women insights in career opportunities in the field of tech, science and IT.

Why It Matters

Encouraging more girls to explore opportunities in tech will lead to an enriching influx of talented women into the IT sector. Their insights will ultimately yield innovations that have the power to change the way we experience the world.

Each year, on the last Thursday in April, Germany celebrates Girls’ Day – a day dedicated to nurturing young women’s curiosity by encouraging them to explore opportunities in science and technology. This year, to celebrate the special day, Samsung Electronics Germany invited approximately 80 bright young women to take part in exciting activities held at locations across the country: at SEG’s headquarters in Schwalbach, at the recently opened Samsung Showcase in Frankfurt, and at the company’s Customer Service Plazas in Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart.

A joint effort of Samsung’s Citizenship and Service divisions, the Girls’ Day events offered students a chance to get hands-on with Samsung devices and digital technologies with the help of Samsung employees, who illuminated how the various innovations work.

A coding workshop at the Samsung Showcase venue demonstrates just how fun coding can be.

Unlocking Potential

Girls’ Day was created to tackle the pressing issue of women’s underrepresentation in the IT sector. Samsung Electronics Germany’s exciting workshops introduced students to various forms of IT-related work and invited them to learn more about fascinating careers that may not have been on their radar.

At Samsung Electronics Germany’s Customer Service Plazas, 11- to 16-year-old participants were treated to a fun and insightful training activity that offered them a closer look at how Samsung devices work. With instructors at their side, the young women disassembled Samsung Smart TVs, learned how the intricate components housed within interact with one another, and carefully reassembled them.

In Berlin, participants were shown how to take apart and reassemble a TV.

In Schwalbach, participants received a guided tour of the Samsung House, which also featured an enlightening overview of the wide range of careers that they could one day pursue at SEG. Students also received insights into content and video production for the Samsung Service website and took part in a lively demonstration of the rigorous tests that smartphones undergo before going on sale.

The Schwalbach experience zone also featured a special guest: YouTube star Jodie Calussi. In addition to participating in the program herself, Calussi interviewed the girls and filmed it all to share with her more than 440,000 subscribers.

Nurturing Digital Skills

Because teaching coding is a great way to nurture students’ digital skills, the brand-new Samsung Showcase venue in Frankfurt served as host to an exciting coding workshop. Conducted by experienced instructor Tobias Hübner, the beginner’s course served as a demonstration of just how easy (and fun) coding can be.

During the workshop, students were shown how to create their own computer game by programming a joystick connected to a PC and monitor.

After learning the basics of the Scratch programming language, the girls were shown how to create a computer game by programming a joystick connected to a PC and monitor. The activity was a hit with the students as well as Calussi, who hurried over to join in on the fun after finishing her session in Schwalbach.

Expanding Perceptions

SEG’s participation in the Girls’ Day initiative underlines its commitment to nurturing students’ digital skills. Encouraging more students to experience advanced technologies will lead more bright young minds to consider careers in IT – which will ultimately yield more powerful innovations.

“[Our Girls’ Day events] are intended to show that tech professions are not only for boys”, said Steffen Ganders, Director of Corporate Affairs, Samsung Electronics Germany. “Digital technologies fascinate us and enrich our lives, and it’s essential that we foster understanding of the mechanisms behind them.”

Source: Newsroom Global

Samsung is committed to creating the future and improving access to education through its Smart School initiative. The newest Smart Classroom in South Africa was unveiled on Friday (8 September) by Samsung’s President and Managing Director, Mr Sung Yoon and Michael Zulu Primary School principal Mrs Lindiwe Vilakazi at Michael Zulu Primary School in Tsakane, Brakpan.

According to Equal Education, 41.7% of South African Grade 10 pupils drop out of school before their matric year. One of the main reasons – the absence of a solid early schooling foundation.

Samsung is not only providing tools and skills towards learners passing Grade 12. This goes beyond matric This approach is rooted in our core values and business philosophy which states that we will devote our human resources and technology to create superior products and services to contribute to a better global society. Providing access to technology and education for underserved communities is a step closer to reaching this goal.

“As a market leader that drives innovation and develops products according to our clients’ needs and wants, we understand that the future of education is in technology. With Samsung’s classroom technology, educators can get more students engaged, improve participation, and most importantly, make learning fun,” says Pitso Kekana, Samsung’s Head of Public Affairs and Corporate Citizenship. Mr Kekana went on to say that “in addition to providing the appropriate technologies, Samsung also wants to ensure that the teachers at Michael Zulu Primary School take ownership of the Smart Classroom and receive adequate training to optimise the use of the facilities”.

The Smart School solution has three components. The first, is an interactive management solution which allows teachers to deliver content to students, share screens, check student progress, conduct group activities and run tests or instant polls. The second, is a learning management system which provides educational material and content, such as e-textbooks and learning apps. The third is a student information system which helps teachers track an individual pupil’s progress, attendance and other information.

Students are also able to access their school information at any time – whether at home or at school – and can interact with their peers and teachers via online portals and communication tools.

This Smart Classroom has eBoards which combine the simplicity of a whiteboard and the power of a computer. The Samsung interactive LCD e-Board increases student participation and provides better visual presentation.

“Samsung promotes learning and is addressing South Africa’s education challenges by bringing new and immersive digital learning experiences into the classroom. Smart Classrooms have shown to improve student engagement and teacher empowerment, combining easy-to-use devices and dynamic content,” concludes Hlubi Shivanda, Director: Business Innovation Group & Corporate Affairs at Samsung.

Smart Schools work with governments and organisations across the globe to bring education opportunities to underserved communities so that more students can enjoy the full benefits of a quality digital education. The Smart School initiative has seen Samsung support over 3,000 schools globally, allowing well over 1.4 million bright young minds to learn in fun and interactive environments.

Samsung believes that technology is a powerful tool for social change, especially when it comes to education. The Samsung Smart Classroom was born out of the belief that success cannot only be measured by business achievements, but should also be measured by how well a business serves its communities and impacts people’s lives.

The largest of its kind in South Africa, the survey is created by the Target Group Index (TGI) in partnership with City Press and Rapport newspapers. This year, it incorporated 15,284 South African interviews to represent over 25 million adult South African consumers and was conducted by Ask Afrika, which is South Africa’s largest independent market research company.

Consumers are asked to vote for the brands that they feel best unite them and form part of the nation’s common experiences. While the survey itself pays close attention to brand loyalty amidst consumer trends, the awards celebrate thought-leader brands that form part of South Africans socially constructed realities, especially within the 15 – 34 age group.

“Thank you to the South African youth market which has voted to reaffirm that Samsung’s creative technological innovations are born out of a deep understanding of what our consumers want and need and that our products indeed enrich our customers’ lives and contribute to social prosperity. We are honoured to have our future leaders recognise us as an iconic global electronics brand that has formed meaningful connections with them,” says Justin Hume, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Electronics South Africa.

Samsung has a proud history of excellence when it comes to these awards. Last year, the brand won the New Technology/Tablets category and Smartphones category. It also scooped up the gold as the top tablet brand in the Ask Afrika Icon Brands Awards 2015 amongst other esteemed positions.

“Samsung will continue to provide leading solutions to a market of digitally savvy young consumers who know what they want and are highly in tune with the latest technological advancements across the global community,” concludes Hume.