President Obama is calling for a transformation in the U.S. education system to become more technology-centered, and Adobe is answering that call. The company announced it is committing more than US$300 million in software and professional development to Obama’s ConnectED initiative.
“Preparing America’s students with the skills they need to get good jobs and compete with countries around the world relies increasingly on interactive, personalized learning experiences driven by new technology,” according to the White House blog. “Yet fewer than 30% of America’s schools have the broadband they need to connect to today’s technology.”
The goal of Obama’s ConnectED initiative is to provide 99% of U.S. students access to high-speed Internet, and to bring technology education and teacher training to schools.
“We believe in the power of media creation as a way for youth to express their creativity and build their skills for future success,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and CEO of Adobe. “We’re proud to contribute to the President’s ConnectED initiative, and look forward to seeing the benefits that our technology brings to both students and educators.”
Adobe’s $300 million software commitment included bringing the following products to students and teachers: Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Premiere Elements, Adobe Presenter, Adobe Captivate and Adobe EchoSign. In addition, the Adobe Foundation and Adobe’s Education division is providing an assortment of training resources for educators from the Adobe Education Exchange program and Adobe Youth Voices initiative.
Other companies that have joined Obama’s initiative include Apple, AT&T, Autodesk, Microsoft, O’Reilly Media, Sprint and Verizon.
