What was originally planned as a meeting among several education leaders to discuss Microsoft’s progress with its Philadelphia School of the Future Project turned into a major gathering of more than 200 education and government leaders from more than 30 countries seeking ideas on how to reform schooling for the modern era. On July 6-8 Microsoft’s Partners in Learning program hosted the first Worldwide School of the Future Summit on the company’s Redmond campus to discuss the integration of technology with education, and to share thoughtful approaches on building schools, curricula and education systems that give all students a chance to succeed in the global, digital economy of the future.

“We were inundated with requests to attend the three-day event,” says Anthony Salcito, general manager for Education, Microsoft U.S. Public Sector. “We actually had to cut people off because of space constraints. And the word on the conference has spread now, so we expect the conversation on the issues covered in the forum to continue.”

According to Salcito, the enthusiasm for the first-time event stems from the fact that education reform is a challenge in every community and every government around the world, and from the growing recognition that a holistic approach, strategic planning, community support and leadership development are all necessary to effect the right kind of reform. Salcito says forums and events such as the Worldwide School of the Future Summit are a critical piece to Microsoft’s overall mission when it comes to education. Microsoft’s industry-leading Partners in Learning initiative works with technology industry leaders, curriculum vendors, education policy leaders, governments and other groups to think more strategically about their technology investments rather than jumping too quickly onto the latest technology trends.