Samsung Smart School Initiative to Improve Digital Literacy

Samsung Electronics has been running its Samsung Smart School program, providing gadgets and software to elementary school students as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to boost digital literacy.

The tech company said it will bring this year's Samsung Smart School program to eight elementary schools and two special-education schools that need to build an environment for digital education.

The Samsung Smart School initiative, which was started in 2012, bridges the digital education gap and improves the future capabilities of teenagers by providing its devices, educational content, and training in schools that have relatively poor education environments.

So far, the company has established the system in 98 schools and 193 classrooms nationwide.

For this year's Samsung Smart School program, the company offered a larger number of IT gadgets and renewed its education program to increase practicality and narrow the digital education gap.

In detail, the number of Samsung Smart School classes will increase from one to two per school. In each smart school classroom, there are three Samsung Flip displays, Galaxy Tab tablets, and Galaxy Chromebook PCs.

The program provides a variety of exclusive content, including existing lessons such as math, English, and science, as well as software to help students grasp cognitive learning through education and games that enhance their digital identity, communication skills, and digital literacy.

For teachers taking part in the Samsung Smart School program, the company offers training programs twice a year to enhance their ability to utilize IT devices and educational content.

Also, a group of trainees who have doctoral degrees in education visit the schools once a month to provide consulting on the overall operation of the Samsung Smart School classes and provide educational models suitable for each school.

The program has been received well from teachers, Samsung said.

"For good education, we always have to pursue new learning methods and move forward, but there were many difficulties. Thanks to the Samsung Smart School program, Cheongsong Elementary School is grateful to be able to lead future education in the local education field,"

said Song Sun-sook, principal of Cheongsong Elementary School in South Chungcheong Province, who participated in a test run of the program last year.

Na Ki-hong, head of Samsung's human resource division, said,

"We hope that students will receive fair and high-quality education without restrictions based on regions and environments and grow into future talents with creative and convergent problem-solving skills."

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