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"IBM's goal with our KidSmart Early Learning program is to give pre-K programs all over the world the tools they need to enrich teaching and learning, so that children arrive at elementary school prepared and excited to learn."
Stanley S. Litow
Vice President, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs
President, IBM International Foundation
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The IBM KidSmart Early Learning Program integrates new interactive teaching and learning activities using the latest technology into the pre-kindergarten curricula. The program is now being implemented in 60 countries internationally, serving more than 2 million children from remote geographic areas to underprivileged areas of town and cities.
IBM's KidSmart program includes the Young Explorer™, a computer housed in brightly colored, kid-friendly Little Tikes™ furniture and equipped with award-winning educational software to help children learn and explore concepts in math, science and language. The computer centers can also help children learn important socialization skills such as how to work together and share. Exploration and socialization skills are important to prepare children for future success in school, help level the playing field and ensure all children have access to educational tools.
There's also a web site available to support teachers and parents. The website, www.kidsmartearlylearning.org (link resides outside of ibm.com), was created in collaboration with the Center for Children and Technology, Bank Street College of Education and United Way. Available in nine languages, the website includes a guide for parents to encourage early learning at home and a section for preschool teachers that details how they can best use technology to support learning in their classrooms.
An evaluation conducted by the Bank Street College of Education found that teachers who had been participating in KidSmart grew significantly more adept at integrating technology into their instruction. The evaluation also found that children's comfort levels using computers increased significantly, with 99 percent of the children either comfortable or very comfortable with computers.
Additionally, KidSmart is now widely acknowledged as a catalyst for curriculum development and learning innovation in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
To coincide with its 10th Anniversary of the KidSmart program in EMEA, IBM issued a booklet containing 16 KidSmart case studies from 15 countries. The studies focus on the impact the program has had on the learning of children with a wide range of special educational needs. These compelling studies detail the ways in which KidSmart has opened up new opportunities for disadvantaged children to fulfill their potential. Click here for a copy of the booklet, which is available in 19 languages (PDF, 9.2MB).
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Since its launch in 1998, IBM has invested more than $106 million in the KidSmart Early Learning Program, including the donation of more than 45,000 KidSmart Early Learning Centers. The program is now in 60 countries, and has trained more than 100,000 teachers and served more than 10 million students. |
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A key finding from an independent evaluation in Asia Pacific indicates that KidSmart is acting as a catalyst and support for "significant" reforms in early-childhood education. |
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Jordan's Minister of Education stated: "The support of IBM for innovation in learning and teaching is greatly appreciated." |
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Chile's Minister of Education has encouraged teachers to integrate KidSmart into their classrooms because KidSmart's "educational practices are grounded in technology and promote better learning opportunities that help children transition more easily from first to second grades." |
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