Costa Rica News – We all know the importance of education and ensuring that schools create the best environment possible to promote learning. Samsung is showing their dedication to this premise around the world. Smart School is a new Samsung initiative for Corporate Citizenship that seeks to implement models of learning through technology.
Samsung Electronics inaugurated for the second time this year: two digital classrooms in Costa Rica, which in this case belong to the Lyceum Jose Joaquin Vargas Calvo and Enrique Strachan School; this makes a total amount of four smart classes in our country. The Smart School project is an integrated platform that helps teachers to develop an interactive learning environment with its students.
Smart School, an initiative that Samsung developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Non Profit Organization Glasswing, is a project that provides students and faculty the technological tools to share in a more interactive way contents through educational software. The project includes teacher training, performance monitoring, installation and maintenance of digital classrooms in participating schools and the use of reading comprehension software: Progrentis.
Samsung Smart School began in Costa Rica with the opening of two digital classrooms in the public schools: Lyceum Julio Fonseca, in La Peregrina of Uruca and IEGB Yanuario Quesada in San Rafael de Escazú. On this occasion the students of Lyceum Jose Joaquin Vargas Calvo and Enrique Strachan School will be the beneficiaries of this project.
With the donation of the first two digital classrooms, there were a total of 1379 benefited students and 10 teachers. In addition, last October 18th was held in Costa Rica the First Olympiad of Progrentis, where the only public institution involved was IEGB Yanuario Quesada; in the category of Progrentis 4th grade, two of these students were awarded with the first and third place: Sebastian Marin Buzo and Minor Mora, respectively.
“We are very pleased with the results obtained with the implementation of the Smart School project in Costa Rica. With the implementation in these two new centers, Samsung continues strengthening itself as company responsible and committed to educational programs that seek to transform the lives of young students from our country. Samsung once again uses its technology development to benefit the Latin American region, with the aim of strengthening its vision of a better world”, said Silvia Cuevas, Manager of CSR at Samsung Electronics Latin America.
Students use in the digital classroom, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to receive and share the notes and the themes developed in class, managing to maintain a more direct communication with their teachers. These tablets allow them to conduct quizzes, surveys, send and receive material support, among others.
“In my role as the Principal of the IEGB Yanuario Quesada, the implementation of the Samsung technological classroom has made a huge difference. Thanks to the Smart School program, the students are receiving the necessary tools to address the current and future technological reality. It’s impressive that a public institution like ours was part of the first Olympiad Progrentis 2014, winning a first and third place. If we take in consideration the fact that all participating institutions are recognized private education centers, recognition should be twofold for both our students as for Samsung”, said Carmen Salazar, Principal of the IEGB Yanuario Quesada.
“We broke a scheme at the Lyceum Jose Joaquin Vargas Calvo with the incorporation of technology into our curriculum. From this year and onwards, we transformed the education, enriching it for our youth so they can enjoy their learning experience. All this thanks to our partnership with Samsung”, said Mario Gonzalez Matamoros, Principal of the Lyceum Jose Joaquin Vargas Calvo.
Katia Solórzano, Director of Technology Resource, Ministry of Education, was satisfied with Samsung for considering Costa Rica as one of the first countries in the region to develop this initiative, especially because in less than a year, the project has been implemented in four institutions.
Smart School is part of Samsung’s vision: “Inspire the World, Create the Future”, so the project that currently takes place in countries like Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela and Dominican Republic will expand soon to other sectors of the region.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd is a global leader in technology and opens new possibilities for users worldwide. Through a process of constant innovation has transformed the world of television, cell phones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. It employs 286,000 people in 80 countries with annual sales that exceed the 216.7 billion dollars. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com
