Smarter Kids can make a brighter future for Pakistan

Press Release: IBM (NYSE:IBM) presented 26 Young Explorer computers to four non-profit organizations including Development in Literacy (DIL), Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization (MGPO), Kaghan Memorial Trust (KMT), and PAF’s Special School of Education.

This donation was carried out under IBM’s ‘KidSmart Early Learning Program’ which is the company’s initiative to make Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) widely accessible to Pakistani children.

“IBM’s Young Explorer computers are perfect for introducing computing tools to the young children ages 3 to 5 at our Kaghan Memorial School” said, Khurram Khan, Managing Trustee at The Kaghan Memorial Trust. “The KidSmart software provides fun interactive programs that help children to get acquainted with computers while supporting their curricular learning. The icing on the cake is the colorful and child-friendly design of the workstations; their sturdy fabrication protects the systems from damage no matter how young and uninitiated the user may be. KidSmart truly lives up to its name and we feel privileged to have been chosen by IBM to receive these excellent systems for our school.”

The KidSmart program integrates new interactive teaching and learning activities using the latest technology into the pre-kindergarten curricula. IBM’s KidSmart program includes the Young Explorer™, a computer housed in brightly colored, child-friendly Little Tikes™ furniture and equipped with award-winning educational software to help children learn and explore concepts in math, science and language. The Young Explorer units are specially designed for children ages three to five years with a focus on creating a positive impact on preschool learning and teacher training in line with government education agendas. The program is now widely acknowledged as a catalyst for curriculum development and learning innovation in Middle East and Africa.

IBM Pakistan launched the KidSmart program in 2006 and has donated more than 80 Young Explorer units to NGOs across Pakistan, partnering with Education Ministries (of Nankana Sahib, Punjab and Sindh) and renowned NGO’s including The Citizen’s Foundation, Care Foundation, Behbud Association, Edhi Foundation and Zindagi Trust.

About KidSmart

KidSmart is an IBM corporate programme which aims to develop the role of IT in early childhood education and help bridge the digital divide. The programme runs in partnership with a professional early learning partner (e.g. an Education Ministry), which provides staff training, supports the selection of schools and participates in evaluation. Independent reports have shown strong developmental outcomes for children and a very positive impact on teacher skills and bridging the digital divide.

Since its launch in 1998, IBM has invested more than $120 million in the KidSmart Early Learning Programme worldwide, including the donation of over 55,000 Young Explorer units. The programme is now in 60 countries, and has trained more than 100,000 teachers and served more than 10 million students.