Happy World Teachers' Day

Happy World Teachers’ Day! Today, and every day, we celebrate this critical and essential profession. Held annually on October 5th since 1994, World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. To the millions of teachers around the world who work tirelessly for the growth of future generations, we thank you!

At Qualcomm, we are actively working with organizations across the globe to build capacity among teachers, specifically in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.  Our strategic STEM initiatives, like our homegrown Qualcomm® Thinkabit Lab™ strive to build capacity and provide resources to educators. They are on the front line of sparking students’ interest in STEM and inspiring them to be the next generation of inventors. Globally, we collaborate with a several organizations to develop STEM programming that provides teachers with the support, skills, knowledge, and tools they need to effectively engage their students in the world of STEM education.

In China, for example, we collaborate with the Shanghai Adream Charitable Foundation to organize STEM curriculum trainings for education professionals. These “train the trainer” workshops teach educators across China how to implement STEM curriculum and activities in schools and community centers. By the end of this year, these newly trained educators will have introduced STEM curriculum to approximately 187 schools and 10 community centers, benefiting around 40,000 students. The project’s success led to new opportunities to advance STEM education in our communities.

In India, Qualcomm launched Project Aqriti, to promote STEM education among under-privileged girls. For the last few years, Aqriti has provided trainings for teachers to conduct experiential learning, which has helped students shape their careers with deeper understanding of academic concepts. Since its inception, Aqriti has impacted over 56,000+ children, 2200+ teachers and 278 schools in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai.

In the U.S., as part of our long-standing strategic collaboration with FIRST, we partnered with fellow customer and FIRST supporter Bosch USA, to support teachers across the country during National Robotics Week. Through this campaign, we funded every FIRST-related project on the Donor’s Choose fundraising platform, which included 120 different projects at more than 88 schools serving more than 10,000 students in 25 states. As a result, teachers received the materials they needed in order to bring STEM programs into their classroom, inspiring students across the nation.

This year, teachers everywhere were faced with multiple new challenges as a result of the pandemic. Educators were met with the daunting task of restructuring entire curricula for connected learning. Still, in a summer full of innovation worldwide as educators adapted, Qualcomm’s support for STEM education adapted as well. The Thinkabit Lab continued to support its network of national sites for a series of virtual summer camps. As schools debated prioritizing tested subjects over hands-on engineering programs, teachers were concerned the STEM interest gap would continue to grow. Committed to closing this gap, the Thinkabit Lab provided 350 hardware kits, instructional notebooks, laptops and tablets for students in need, and funding for other necessities within its network of instructors so they were able to provide their students a meaningful virtual innovative summer. Due to the extensive planning and support provided, instructors have continued to implement valuable Insights and practices developed during the virtual camps in their virtual classrooms this semester.

This year, specifically, COVID-19 has brought forth numerous added challenges to education systems around the globe. Now more than ever, teachers shine as essential roles within our society that safeguard the right to education and continue to support our future generations. Qualcomm recognizes and celebrates teachers across the globe for their steadfast commitment to their profession and to the students they serve. As we navigate all the unknowns that the future may hold, we will continue to support teachers in their critical mission to provide education to all.