Nokia and the Pearson Foundation to Bring Leadership Summits to Cities around the World

First Summit, Putting 21st Century Skills into Practice, held in New York City

New York, NY - June 16 - President Obama recently called on U.S. governors and educators to help students develop the 21st Century Skills they will need to succeed in the classroom and in their lives. In keeping with this vital initiative, Nokia and the Pearson Foundation announced a series of Mobile Learning Institute Leadership Summits to take place through 2010 in cities including Cape Town, Chicago, Dar es Salaam, Helsinki, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and San Francisco.

The first Summit, Putting 21st Century Skills into Practice, held last week in New York, brought education officials and school district superintendents from across the Northeast together with board members of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and leading national and local education innovators. Together, they explored ways school districts and educators are developing students’ and teachers’ 21st century skills, in many cases by integrating the latest digital and mobile technologies within classroom practice and educator professional development.

The new Leadership Summit series extends the successful Mobile Learning Institute partnership between Nokia, a world leader in mobile communications, and the global education and technology company Pearson. Since 2004 the partnership has delivered engaging, personalized, project-based learning programs to more than 20,000 young people and their teachers in classrooms and community centers across the United States. The Mobile Learning Institute Leadership Summits will present key findings from these programs; give local education leaders the opportunity to meet and learn from leading public and private leaders; and enable all participants to explore ways in which the students and teachers they serve can acquire the 21st Century skills they need to succeed in an increasingly digital and global workplace.

“It’s fitting that we launch this new Mobile Learning Institute Leadership Series in New York City,” said Michael Quesnell, Senior Representative for Community Involvement at Nokia. He added, “Now in their fifth year, the Mobile Learning Institute’s programs for students and teachers have deep roots in and around New York City. Bringing local education leaders together to investigate important initiatives like the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, to share ideas, and to learn from each other is the natural extension of our efforts.”

“From the start, the Mobile Learning Institute has set out to explore the ways digital and mobile technologies are changing the way young people learn and share their ideas,” said Mark Nieker, President of the Pearson Foundation. He continued, “More and more, initiatives like the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the National Education Summit on 21st Century Skills that took place in Washington, D.C., are affirming what we’ve been learning ourselves: that project-based learning is a critical component of a 21st century education – especially project-based learning that encourages young people’s problem-solving, critical thinking and team-work skills while developing core academic abilities.”

# # #

About the Mobile Learning Institute

The Mobile Learning Institute delivers engaging, personalized, project-based learning right to the classroom, giving students and teachers the opportunity to create digital presentations that share their perspectives and their understanding of classroom objectives. Working together, they design, develop, and complete the collaborative digital-arts projects they can share with each other, with their families, and with their community. In the process, students develop core subject knowledge together with essential learning, information, life and career skills. Teachers become equipped to engage their students in a way that promotes classroom objectives and important 21st century skills.

About the Pearson Foundation

The Pearson Foundation extends Pearson’s commitment to education by partnering with leading nonprofit, civic, and business organizations to provide financial, organizational, and publishing assistance across the globe. We aim to make a difference by sponsoring innovative educational programs and extending our educational expertise to help in classrooms and in local communities. More information on the Pearson Foundation can be found at www.pearsonfoundation.org.

# # #

Contact

Pearson Foundation
Adam Ray
adam.ray@pearsonfoundation.org