Samsung, World's Smartphone Giant, Built A High School.

Hey, Educators. Christopher again. Normally I send a newsletter on Tuesdays, but it was a public holiday in Hong Kong, so I decided to send it today so this letter doesn’t drown into your heavy email inbox 📨

We’ve already covered some of the most interesting stories, right? Elon Musk founded his schools, and all of Korean students will have AI-powered textbooks. Honestly, a weekly newsletter is not enough to cover all the interesting global news about education.

Today, I’m back with a light case study about Samsung. Have you ever used Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones, laptops, TVs, refrigerators….etc? Samsung, a global tech giant from South Korea, which does pretty much everything, also has a high school in Korea!

But what can be that special? 🤔

Samsung built a school named Chungnam Samsung Academy at a city named 아산 (Asan): a small city with a population of around 300,000 people. If you plan to visit this school one day, well, it will be a pretty long ride.

Let’s say you arrive at Incheon International Airport. You’ll need around 2 hours to get to the center of Seoul: Seoul Station. From Seoul Station, by car, it’s another 2 hours ride. Yes. This school isn’t that conveniently located. Then why was this school built at Asan?

Chungnam Samsung Academy was born in 2014. Designed for the children of Samsung employees, this academy is all about making education accessible, especially without those pesky long commutes. Simply speaking, there are lots of Samsung employees at Asan, and their kids need proper education.

But of course, Samsung didn’t stop there — and I bet it was never meant to be a typical school. It was originally proposed to be named as 은성고등학교 (Eun-Sung High School), but who will miss the opportunity to add Samsung to its title? So now we have 충남삼성고등학교 (Chungnam Samsung Academy).

Who Gets to Study at the Samsung School?

As I mentioned, this was originally built for the Samsung employees’ children. Therefore, the 70% of the yearly quota (360 students) is assigned specifically for the Samsung families. 20% is normal admission for anyone, and 10% is talents physically located at the Chungnam district.

Student’s middle school GPA and student records will be considered for the first round, and the 2nd round will be interviews. (Classics.)

Just like you guessed, EVERY STUDENT receives a Galaxy tablet. Precisely, they are rented to students, where any student that graduates successfully get to fully own the tablet given. (Can any student use an iPad, instead?)

Unique Curriculum with Many Paths

Chungnam Samsung Academy offers a distinctive curriculum designed to prepare students for the demands of the modern world. Students can earn a diploma upon graduation by completing a total of 204 credits, which are divided into two main areas: academic activities and creative experiential activities.

• Academic Activities:

  • 180 credits

  • Students engage in various subjects, including 13 common electives (48 credits), 20 major electives (82 credits), 4 course electives (20 credits), and 6 free electives (30 credits). This structure allows flexibility, enabling students to tailor their education to their interests and career aspirations.

• Creative Experiential Activities:

  • 24 credits

  • This area encourages students to participate in autonomous activities (6 credits), club activities (10 credits), volunteer work (4 credits), and career development activities (4 credits). Such a well-rounded approach helps students develop critical life skills alongside academic knowledge.

The school was also officially accredited as an IB school in 2020, implying its strength in the international admissions.

For your information, the school sent 15 students to Seoul National University in 2022 alone. It is very unfortunate for me to not have enough time to explain how difficult this is.

Daily Activities Way Beyond Academics

Apart from the normal academic activities and school hours, their students’ schedules are packed with unique (and mandatory) activities to maximize their time at the institution. Also, lots of students choose to live on campus.

Here's a sneak peek at what makes this academy tick:

Morning Spark & Reading Spark

Gone are the days of hitting the snooze button! Every first-year student participates in morning exercises from 6:40 AM to 7:30 AM. after the first two quarters, students choose between the Morning Challenge and Power Study, ensuring they start their day energized and ready to learn. It’s a perfect blend of fitness and academic preparation.

They also just began its new Spark: Reading Spark, where students all gather in a classroom and read books. They get to read at least 8 books every quarter! 📚📚

MSMP (Miracle of Sixty-six days Melting Pot) 🍯

This isn’t just a catchy title (it’s an official title, by the way.) — it signifies the transformative journey new students embark on during their first few months. From late February until the beginning of May, first-years undergo a period of adaptation, known for forming lasting habits in just 66 days. During this time, students are encouraged to stay focused on their studies, with limited internet access to help them immerse themselves fully in the school community. Starting from the eighth cohort, students can now use the internet, thanks to updated student rights regulations.

NSLB (No Students Left Behind)

This essential program supports students who may struggle academically. If a student scores below 40 in any subject, they must complete additional requirements to stay on track for graduation. It’s all about ensuring that no student gets left behind in their academic journey.

Student Research Activities

Imagine being a sophomore and taking on real research projects! Students team up to explore topics that resonate with their aspirations, conducting experiments and surveys to create impactful presentations. The culmination of these efforts is showcased during the school’s academic festival, where students display their findings and creativity.

Facilities

Their campus reminds me of a small university campus with multiple buildings. Their buildings are equipped with expensive equipment for teaching and projects. Here are a few interesting buildings:

Dasan Hall (Library)

Spanning three floors, the library is a hub for learning. The second floor is equipped with computers and study tables overlooking the playground, while the third and fourth floors house humanities and social science books and natural science books, respectively. Each of these floors also includes seminar rooms, accessible with student ID tags.

Science Building (S Block)

This section is dedicated to science education, featuring various laboratories. The first floor includes natural science and life science labs, while the second floor is home to coding rooms for IT diplomas and other specialized facilities. The upper floors contain classrooms and a math lounge, along with a small ecological park for hands-on learning. This is a hub of innovation, featuring labs for biology, chemistry, physics, and IT. With cutting-edge equipment, including a 3D printing lab, students have the resources they need to turn their ideas into reality. It’s not just about learning; it’s about creating and experimenting in a supportive environment.

Chungmu Hall (Gymnasium)

The hall was named after the Posthumous name of the greatest military general of the Korean history, Yi Sun-sin.

While primarily a gym, this space functions as a large auditorium for various school events, including graduation and orientation ceremonies. Facilities include dance studios, changing rooms, and a fitness area with a range of equipment available for approved use.

Dormitory (Injae Hall)

Accommodating four students per room, the dormitory features two bathrooms and is divided into M (Mountain) and L (Lake) wings, each with distinct color schemes. Each floor offers study spaces, and access is secured with a speed gate for safety.

Overall, it’s cool and fancy, right? If you want to know more about the campus, their official YouTube channel seems to have great visuals around.

Big companies build schools for many reasons, and Samsung seems to be doing it interestingly. Imagine every company with a large scale builds a school with their vision infused! The world will be full of unique schools with practical subjects. (Of course, if done right.)

I hope this post gave you an insight on how other countries are changing their education. If you liked this post, subscribe to get weekly insights for educators on global innovation in education.

See you in the next one 👋,

Christopher Lee (Let’s connect on LinkedIn!)

Room for Growth