At this year’s Dell World, we introduced the inaugural Dell World Impact Awards to recognize Dell customers who are innovating in the areas of big data, cloud, the Internet-of-Things, mobility and security. We had six category winners, and I had the pleasure of announcing the “People’s Choice” award winner during the closing session of Dell World.
After tallying over 7,000 votes, the People’s Choice winner was Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) for its use of mobility solutions.
From left to right: Michael Dell; Kevin Schwartz, chief technology officer, Clear Creek Independent School District; Greg Smith, Ph.D., superintendent of schools, CCISD; and Karen Quintos, chief marketing officer, Dell, celebrate CCISD’s selection as People’s Choice winner in the inaugural Dell World Impact Awards.
CCISD’s district-wide 1:1 student device initiative and other IT programs are helping personalize learning for students and accelerate the adoption of technology in the classroom. The district will donate its $20,000 Dell World Impact Award prize package to the Clear Creek Education Foundation, which supports district and community-wide initiatives that go beyond the classroom.
The category winners were nominated by Dell sales leaders and reviewed by a committee of experts and leaders in the technology community, such as Scott Winslow, president of Winslow Technology Group, and Patrick Moorhead, founder, president and principal analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy.
“There are many companies doing innovative work with the help of Dell technology, so narrowing it down to just six was challenging,” said Patrick. “Clear Creek ISD impressed me with the fact that they are not only enhancing student learning by putting devices in the hands of students, but also sharing what they’ve learned with other school districts.”
“We are honored to receive this award from Dell,” said Dr. Greg Smith, CCISD superintendent. “Dell has been a key partner to us every step of the way, and as a result, 41,000 students have anytime, anywhere access to the educational resources they need to prepare for a bright future.”
The district’s Latitude 2 Learn initiative personalizes learning to accommodate a variety of learning styles and helps better prepare students for graduation. The program has sparked new interest in many previously underperforming learners, transforming them from students “at risk” to those “with goals.” It also includes a teacher training element, which is accelerating adoption of technology in classrooms, and a Student Technical Support Summer program that provides real-life work experience for students.
Many thanks to the selection committee and all who voted. And congratulations to Clear Creek ISD and to all of our category winners!
