FRIDAY 26th October was a very exciting day for QPR in the Community Trust, as Loftus Road took part in the international launch of Windows 8.
The ‘Windows 8 in Education’ event ran in partnership with Microsoft and Lenovo, two of the Trust’s education-themed partners.
Windows 8, the brand-new operating system from Microsoft, offers a unique experience for users and sees a significant step away from the traditional Windows design. Attending delegates were given a demo of the product, an insight into how the system can benefit learning and demonstrations of new software, applications, and the accompanying hardware.
One of the highlights of the afternoon saw a live link-up from America by Anthony Salcito, Microsoft Vice President for Worldwide Education, as he joined the event as part of a 30-hour worldwide Skype marathon. It was great to hear his thoughts on Microsoft’s vision of how technology can have an impact on learning, and it was even better to see him dressed in his personalised QPR shirt!
Towards the end of the agenda, a prize draw took place, with two Lenovo laptops with Windows 8 and a QPR signed shirt up for grabs. In keeping with the technology-focused event, three very lucky Tweeters were chosen at random to receive the prizes.
Following the formal presentations, delegates had the opportunity to see the technology in action within the stunning setting of the newly rebranded QPR Study Centre. A group of pupils from local schools (Phoenix and Canberra) had been using the new Windows 8 package and were on hand to showcase the new features.
There was an amazing surprise for one of the lucky pupils as Microsoft & Lenovo announced they had a state of the art laptop to give away, complete with the full Windows 8 package.
Omar Salih was presented the prize in recognition of his continued excellent work in supporting a range of Trust projects. Omar has promised to put the technology to good use as he will be reporting on his upcoming trip to New York and the Yankees Stadium as part of his role as Young Ambassador for Beyond Sport.
To finish the day, there were refreshments and networking, plus the chance for a much-anticipated tour of Loftus Road.
Many thanks to Microsoft and Lenovo for their continued enthusiasm and support for our community education programmes. With their commitment and backing, the QPR Study Centre continues to be a unique facility helping people in the local community engage with learning.