Samsung Smart Class Bridging Digital Gap in India

Samsung India Electronics was recognized Saturday for its Smart Class initiative at the 5th Asian Customer Engagement Forum (ACEF) Award for Excellence in Marketing, Branding, and CSR.

The Samsung Smart Class initiative was awarded under the Best Education / Scholarship Program category in the Award which, according to Samsung, saw over 325 entries from countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India.

“The Samsung Smart Class initiative is aimed at providing talented but less-privileged students with the skills and familiarity needed with technology that is necessary in a digital world. The recognition that the Smart Class initiative has received since its inception in 2013 spurs us to continue expanding the program to reach more students across the country, and strengthen the foundation of Digital India,” said Rajiv Mishra, VP, Media and CSR, Samsung India Electronics.

[ Clean India: RMN Foundation School Kids Say with Artwork ]

Samsung Smart Class is the company’s flagship CSR initiative in India, premised on the belief that its CSR activities should reflect its expertise in technology and innovation.

A Samsung Smart Class provides students an interactive digital environment that helps them avail the opportunities that the Internet provides for learning and retaining information better.

[ Role of Internet in Education: RMN Foundation Workshop ]

The initiative is in partnership with the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), a system of alternate schools run by the Navodya Vidyalaya Samiti, under the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

Smart Classes are equipped with Samsung whiteboards, laptops, printers, Wi-Fi connectivity, educational content and power backup facilities.

In addition to the hardware, Samsung also provides training to teachers to ensure optimal utilization of the features of the Smart Class. Regular hardware checks through annual maintenance contracts and servicing are also provided for smooth functioning of the digital classroom.

[ Constructive Education Framework for Students in India ]

According to Samsung, over 120,000 students in 200 schools across India have benefitted through the initiative. By the end of 2015, Samsung will have added 173 new Smart Classes, enabling students in a total of 373 JNV schools to experience digitally interactive “smart” learning.

Teachers, who teach using Samsung Smart Classes, testify to increased attention and participation from students during lessons, as well as higher familiarity among students in using laptops and the Internet to search for information and learn better.

The ACEF Award for Excellence in Marketing, Branding, and CSR is organized by Customer Engagement Forum (CEF), a community of customer engagement and advocacy professionals.

The Award seeks to acknowledge and encourage marketers and CSR practitioners to uncover new ways to create and sustain long-term stakeholder engagement.