• Introduction
• NAF Collaboration Network
• Learning Teams Fellowship
• Pearson Foundation/CCSSO International Conference on Education
• BridgeIT
• Empowering the 21st Century Superintendent
• Learning to Change, Changing to Learn
• Jordan Education Initiative
• Project Exploration Science Teacher Institute

BridgeIT Partnership

Bridgeit is a global program that delivers digital education materials to schools using mobile technology. The program is implemented through a unique cooperation between Nokia, the International Youth Foundation, the Pearson Foundation, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In practice, teachers use mobile phones supplied by Nokia to access a library of math, science, and language arts content. Once selected, these materials are downloaded via satellite to a Nokia digital video recorder that is connected to a television right in the classroom. As a result, students can explore the same state-of-the-art educational programs regardless of the location of their school or its academic resource budget.

The Bridgeit pilot was launched in the Philippines in 2003 with the support of local Philippine organizations. Known as text2teach in the Philippines, the pilot focused specifically on the results of sharing science videos provided by Pearson Digital Learning’s KnowledgeBox learning system. Bridgeit was developed locally under the leadership of the Ayala Foundation and with the commitment and involvement of the Philippines Ministry of Education, SEAMEO Innotech, Globe Telecom, PMSI Dream Broadcasting, and Chikka Asia.

A research report completed by the University of the Philippines the following year confirmed that as a result of the program, student performance and student attitudes toward science and technology raised markedly. Teachers also welcomed the new teaching concept because it improved their competence and attitude toward using technology. The positive impact went beyond the classroom, as the project also motivated school officials, parents, and community leaders. More than 13,000 fifth-grade and sixth-grade students benefited from the pilot, which has since served as a blueprint for subsequent program expansion.

Three key principles – sustainability, scalability, and replicability – are the backbone of the Bridgeit program. Sustainability refers to local relevance and ownership, as well as affordability. Scalability means that when expanding to more subjects and to more schools (reaching more students), there must be no technical or other obstacles and that the cost per student must become progressively lower. Replicability means that the Bridgeit platform can easily be adopted in other countries and regions of the world.

As a result of this focus, the Bridgeit program now serves more than 60,000 students in 210 schools across the Philippines. School systems in Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Central Europe are currently being considered as locations for additional program expansion.