LONDON, UK – October, 2019: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd today launches a new educational experience – Not a School – which brings young people together to address pressing issues and create solutions, whilst learning vital skills needed for the workplace of the future that will be transformed by rapid innovations in technology.
The UK initiative forms a part
of Samsung’s global commitment to education and citizenship efforts1;
helping equip the next generation of innovators with the skills needed to
pioneer positive social change. The free,
four-week program is designed for
18 to 25-year-old school graduates
and has been co-created with a
collective of inspiring young people. It features a diverse group of unorthodox
teachers, whose areas of expertise
range from art to activism, and from comedy
to inclusion.
The program will be overseen by
award-winning course leader, Charlie Dark: DJ, creative influencer, poet and
founder of the running community ‘Run Dem Crew’. Course mentors, experts and
speakers include comedian, Reuben Christian; photographer, Andriana Lagoudes;
film maker, Lawrence Lartley and writer, Jodi A Bickley.
Course leader, Charlie Dark
said, “I’m proud to be leading a truly eclectic and inspiring group of
people – from writers, podcasters and photographers, to entrepreneurs and
entertainers. A feast of inspiration and learning lies ahead for our students
and I can’t wait to hear what they really care about and how they can be
practically supported to do something about that. Taking action always needs a
little spark to get you going, and I hope Samsung’s Not a School can provide
that. I’m excited to see how our young people respond and what they can create,
be it a piece of music or artwork they think can change the world, or a
solution that uses technology in a new way.”
Each week, Not a School will
take on a new theme: making the world more compassionate; making sustainability
personal; humanising technology; and building an inclusive London.
The themes have been co-designed with young people to ensure those
taking part are learning and applying skills to issues that resonate with their
passions and which they believe will become most important in the future. They
might find themselves debating the ethics and opportunities of AI, thinking up
new creative ways to re-use tech packaging or figuring out how to make the
online world kinder.
Current estimates suggest 2 out of
3 of today’s schoolchildren will have a job in the future which doesn’t exist
today, while 1 in 4 adults already feel that the skills they have today do not
match the skills they really need for their job2.
Additional new data from Samsung
reveals that just 4 in 10 (40%) of Gen Z believe their formal education at
school or university has fully prepared them for the future workplace and more
than three quarters (77%) believe technology companies have a role to play in
education, helping equip them for the future3.
The first 40 young people set to take part in this innovative program secured their spaces based on their community
efforts, goals and creative applications, and will begin their experience today at Samsung’s new showcase
space, Samsung KX, a dynamic community hub in London’s King’s Cross that brings
together culture, learning and innovation.
Speaking of the program, Kate
Beaumont, Director Innovation, Technology & Services Strategy at Samsung,
said: “In an age defined by rapid technological innovation and change, the
ability to solve problems in new ways will be critical for the next generation,
not only to adapt and survive, but to thrive and excel as global citizens. Our
formal educational institutions do a brilliant job, so we want Not A School to
add something extra and different. We want it to make a major contribution to
the way the world thinks about education and provide the skills young people
need to succeed in the next 50 years. The Samsung KX launch is just the
beginning: our ambition in 2020 is that we can invite young people from
across the UK to take part in Not a school.”
Tess Smillie,VP People Team,
Samsung UK&I, added: “We truly believe in the remarkable potential
of the next generation to reach new heights of innovation, and to develop
society-changing solutions, and we’re committed to helping them achieve this
through education and programmes like Not a School. As a business and as a
sector we need to invest in nurturing future talent who feel empowered to
challenge the status quo and are driven by a desire to push the boundaries,
innovate, bring about positive change and to help build a better world.”
Not a School has been created
with guidance from its Youth Advisory Board and is supported by youth, culture
and education groups, including: Camden People’s Theatre; White Hat; London
Borough of Culture; Camden Giving; Roundhouse; and IntoUniversity.
For further information, visit: www.samsung.com/uk/notaschool