In celebration of World Arabic Language Day on December 18, we launch the Skills for Innovation (SFI) in Arabic program to promote the use of technology in educational environments and empower students to acquire future-ready skills. This initiative aligns with UNESCO’s recommendations to promote linguistic diversity and universal access to cyberspace, which advocate for the representation of all languages, including Arabic, in digital content online.
Intel® Skills for Innovation (Intel SFI) is an initiative by Intel that supports teachers in integrating technology into their teaching methods. The program aims to aid students' neurodevelopment and enhance higher-order thinking using technology as a tool. It offers predesigned, technology-infused learning experiences that build students' higher-order cognitive skills.
The program is active in 60 countries globally, with Intel collaborating with over 100 partner organizations. To date, more than 125,000 teachers have engaged with the program.
Workforce readiness has become increasingly critical due to digital transformation, which has heightened the need for workers with analytical, social-emotional, and technical skills. As innovation accelerates, new jobs will require skills focused on higher-order thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and other soft skills, alongside technology skills. These include analytical thinking and innovation, critical thinking and analysis, creativity, originality, and initiative, as well as reasoning, problem-solving, and ideation.
To help organizations achieve these objectives, Intel has developed the Intel SFI Implementation Framework, focusing on seven essential mindsets and skillsets, a four-step adoption plan, helpful resources, and a suite of programs that can be readily rolled out.
The seven essential mindsets and skillsets are:
- Design thinking (mindset)
- Computational thinking (mindset)
- Programming and coding (skillset)
- Data science (skillset)
- Modelling and simulation (skillset)
- Artificial Intelligence and machine learning (skillset)
The Intel SFI initiative was developed to help educators support students with three primary objectives:
- Reinventing the role of technology in education to improve education system resilience and help bridge the industry skills gap
- Using technology to foster students' higher-order thinking and skills development
- Using technology to apply curriculum concepts and tie them to real-world problem-solving
This initiative marks a significant step towards empowering educators and students in Arabic-speaking countries with the skills needed for a technology-driven future. "We are excited to bring the Intel Skills for Innovation program to Arabic-speaking countries, empowering educators and students with the skills needed for a technology-driven future," said a Luigi Pessina, Director of Global Education Programs at Intel.
"Our collaboration with Intel, Classera, and Millennium@EDU reflects ALECSO’s commitment to promoting innovative educational solutions tailored to the needs of Arab countries. By integrating the SFI program in Arabic, we are strengthening our efforts to equip educators and students with cutting-edge educational tools. This partnership embodies our vision of inclusive and sustainable education, where technology plays a pivotal role in developing the skills needed for the jobs of the future.", stated Prof. Mohamed Jemni, The Director of ICT at ALECSO.
“Integrating the SFI program into Classera’s platforms supports our mission to empower educators and students with essential digital skills, driving educational transformation across the Middle East North Africa region”, said Eng. Mohammed Almadani, CEO of Classera.
Mario Franco, founder from Millennium@EDU SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION emphasized, "This partnership is a significant step towards achieving digital transformation in education, providing equal access to quality learning resources for all and promote the language diversity with technology."
For more information, please visit the respective websites of the involved parties.
Contact Information:
- Intel: www.intel.com/education
- ALECSO: www.alecso.org
- Classera: www.classera.com
- Millennium@EDU: www.milleniumedu.org.
