Million dollar idea

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NYC Department of Education is reaching kids where they truly are – with technology. It has teamed up with Verizon and Samsung to produce the ‘Million’, an interactive learning device given out free to all its school children.

New York has more schools per square mile than any other city in the world, but over 37% of its 1 million students will never graduate. This alarming statistic, putting it at the bottom for education in the developed world, prompted the Dept of Education to rethink how it should engage its kids.

Rolled out across the state on in February 2008, the Million allows kids to access the internet and other learning tools such as a dictionary, calculator and homework reminder. Calling and texting options are automatically disabled during school hours. If kids perform well in classes they can earn free minutes and texts to use after school as well as other treats like music downloads.

NYC’s Dept of Education makes no bones about the fact that this is a 100% incentive based tool, but the early results show that it’s working. Marked improvements across the board in achievement, engagement, attendance, discipline, punctuality and grades have led to enquiries from Education boards in Chicago and Mexico about implementing the Million Phone.

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