Samsung surprised 40 Canadian school principals last night while they were being honoured Canada’s Outstanding Principals Gala. The massive telecom company told these principals that they would be the first recipients of Samsung “Solve for Tomorrow” technology grants, for their schools.
Each principal, representing schools in every province and territory, received a $20,000 customized technology package “to help support 21st century learning opportunities.”
Samsung originally started the Solve for Tomorrow education program in 2010 in North America to raise awareness and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects and to help reduce the technology gap in classrooms.
“Canada has a world-class education system, and we want to lend our support to ensure it continues to remain at the forefront, adapting and growing to prepare our students for a rapidly changing, technology-driven, globalized world,” said Samsung Canada’s James Politeski. “Technology in the classroom has the ability to really engage students and give them ownership of their learning, helping them develop real-world skills like critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration and digital literacy.
The company also announced last night that it joined The Learning Partnership as the “official Technology Innovation Partner”. The Learning Partnership, a national charitable organization dedicated to supporting, promoting and advancing publicly funded education in Canada. Samsung will now work with the education community to help integrate technology into classrooms. The 40 exceptional principals that received the first Solve for Tomorrow grants last night were also the winner of The Learning Partnership’s 10th annual Canada’s Outstanding Principals program.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow technology grants will be customized directly with each school through a consultative process. From Samsung tablets with S Pen technology to Chromebooks with Google-based platforms to LFD boards, the focus will be on the technology solutions that can best foster supporting 21th century learning opportunities in the classroom.
The real story here is that the Canadian education system is getting $1 million for technology integration. This should benefit educators, parents, students and Ministries of Education.