GSMA to hold Youth Mobile Festival at MWC 2017

NEW DELHI: The London-based global mobile operators’lobby group, GSM Association (GSMA) has announced that the 2017 Glomo Awards are Open for EntryThe GSMA and the Mobile World Capital Barcelona today announced that they are launching the first Youth Mobile Festival Barcelona (YoMo Barcelona) at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017.

YoMo Barcelona has been created to inspire young people to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering, art/design, and math (STEAM) disciplines. YoMo Barcelona will be held 27 February – 2 March 2017 at Fira Montjuïc.

“We are very excited to be launching the Youth Mobile Festival at Mobile World Congress Barcelona,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “YoMo will bring classroom learning to life for thousands of school children by showing the exciting and rewarding opportunities that are available in the mobile and STEAM ecosystems. This initiative builds on the great work already underway here through the Mobile World Capital’s mSchools programme and will provide an important foundation for Catalan and Spanish students as they map out their future study and career paths.”

“With our continued commitment to enhance our students’ digital skills, we are pleased to be part of this project together with the GSMA and Mobile World Capital Barcelona. YoMo is the ideal setting for students and teachers in Catalonia to experience first-hand the opportunities technology brings to meet the challenges of digital transformation,” said Meritxell Ruiz, Catalán Ministry of Education.

More than 20,000 students from across Catalonia and Spain will come to Barcelona to participate in this engaging four-day showcase of science and technology, which is set to become the largest STEAM event in Spain. Designed for students from 10 to 16 years old, YoMo Barcelona will feature educational exhibits, live theatre shows, interactive workshops, and a wide range of hands-on activities. For educators and administrators, YoMo Barcelona offers the Educational Resources Zone, which includes resources by specific education publishers and online toolkit providers and numerous lesson plans from activity providers. YoMo will also include educator-focused workshops and lectures sharing best practice in STEAM-related professional development, produced in conjunction with the European Schoolnet and mSchools.

YoMo complements and builds on the mSchools programme developed by Mobile World Capital Barcelona in partnership with the Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona City Hall and the GSMA. Launched in 2012, mSchools supports students and teachers, effectively integrating mobile technologies into the classroom. During the last scHool year, more than 24,000 Catalan students participated in the mSchools programme, opening up new ways of teaching and learning that improve achievement and employability in today’s connected world.

YoMo is supported by local, regional, national and European stakeholders, including the Catalan Ministry of Education, STEAM industry organisations, professional institutions, R&D laboratories, not-for-profit charities, universities and other specialist education institutions.

How to Participate in YoMo
YoMo is open to all students and education professionals in Catalonia and Spain and is free to attend. Registration for YoMo will open in October, but potential attendees can indicate interest in advance. More information on YoMo, including how to register interest in attending and to participate in other ways, is available at www.yomobcn.com.