Bayat-MATTER Innovation Hub, Powered by Jamf, Opens in Afghanistan
Innovation Hubs powered by Jamf and MATTER are now operating in low-resourced areas globally
MINNEAPOLIS, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Jamf, in partnership with global nonprofit MATTER, announced the opening of the Bayat-MATTER Innovation Hub (MIH) in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Bayat-MATTER Innovation Hub aims to provide students with little access to educational opportunities a technology-enabled active learning environment that teaches them in-demand skills for their future. This stunning, state-of-the-art facility is the vision of the Bayat Foundation, Afghanistan’s largest humanitarian organization working towards improving the lives of Afghan women, working in collaboration with Jamf and MATTER.
MATTER Innovation Hubs: Preparing Children for the 4th Industrial Revolution
The Kabul Hub joins twelve other MATTER Innovation Hubs in Haiti, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Minnesota — all areas with communities that lack access to education opportunities. The Hubs seek to engage students in technology-enabled active learning. This educational model encourages teachers to moderate and encourage student learning, discussion, and exploration to set students up with in-demand skills for future success.
Sponsored by Jamf employees, the Jamf Nation Global Foundation and other partners, the Hubs are stocked with iPad, OSMO Learning manipulatives, Sphero education technology and dozens of educational apps to offer students the technology they need to expand their skills. The tools selected for use in the MIH program support physical-to-digital interaction and multiple input options such as touch, voice, and camera.
Most facilities have more than 25 iPads for students and can support 300 to 600 learners. The primary curriculum is centered around Apple’s Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create programming. The use of these curricula is facilitated by Jamf’s robust Apple device management to enable the sharing of devices with individual user accounts. Teachers can easily guide learning, minimize distraction and manage student devices with Jamf and Classroom, an Apple app that allows teachers to easily guide learning. The Hubs also utilize Apple School Manager, a web-based portal that provides a fast, streamlined way for IT to deploy Apple devices. Thanks to Jamf and MATTER’s partnership, the MATTER Innovation Hubs are able to bring educational opportunity powered by technology to students around the globe.
The Newest Hub in Afghanistan Provides Young Women a New Path to Success
The Bayat Foundation is Afghanistan’s largest humanitarian organization working to improve the lives of Afghan women of all ages. Foundation Director Mariam Bayat sees education as an essential tool to empower women to help in the rebuilding of their country. The opening of the Bayat-MATTER Innovation Hub will provide opportunities for young women in Afghanistan to receive an education beyond the government-mandated curriculum.
“MATTER is excited to collaborate with Jamf and Bayat Foundation to bring new opportunities in STEM/STEAM to the Michelle Bayat School at the Red Crescent Society campus in Kabul, Afghanistan,” said Quenton Marty, President, MATTER. “This Innovation Hub brings the latest technology and classroom management tools that enable a new learning methodology for children attending from the nearby community, as well as children who are refugees from the surrounding regions of Afghanistan. Through this partnership, we look forward to bringing new opportunities for Afghan girls to be leaders in their community and country.”
The Innovation Hubs currently serve students in the lower elementary grades; however, the new MIH in Kabul will serve students through high school. The program’s premise is that anyone with an iPad and internet can learn anything from any location. In a short period, a student could take an intensive coding course, learn to design apps, make music or art, and get a job, without needing to relocate.
“An enormous amount of work goes on behind the scenes to bring these Innovation Hubs to life. Partners like MATTER and the Bayat Foundation are essential in order to create new opportunities and get technology into the hands of students,” said Dave Saltmarsh, Global Education Strategist, Jamf. “These Hubs give students access to powerful Apple products and app-based STEM/STEAM curriculum to help them develop new skill sets in critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity.”
About MATTER
MATTER, a Minnesota-based global NGO, brings together the best companies, experts, problem solvers, dreamers and above all, doers, to kickstart big ideas that can change the world. This collaborative movement has inspired solutions in health access, activating healthy eating for children and families, regenerative agriculture, and student-centered education, collectively impacting more than 14 million lives. MATTER’s guiding belief is encapsulated in the simple yet powerful expression, YOU MATTER. Learn more at www.matter.ngo.
About Jamf
Jamf, the standard in Apple Enterprise Management, extends the legendary Apple experience people love to businesses, schools, and government organizations through its software and the world’s largest online community of IT admins focused exclusively on Apple, Jamf Nation. To learn more, visit www.jamf.com.
MATTER Media Contact:
Brian Numainville | brian@matter.ngo
Jamf Media Contact:
Aleena Kaleem | media@jamf.com
Jamf Investor Contact:
Jennifer Gaumond | ir@jamf.com
