The partnership aims at enabling continuity of learning to over 25,000 underprivileged students in government and low-cost private schools across India
Newsstardom : Kolkata, 16th. March, 2023:- With an aim to educate and empower children from underserved backgrounds with quality education and equal learning opportunities, BYJU’S ‘Education for All’ social impact initiative has joined hands with the Indian development organisation, Smile Foundation. Envisioned as a multi-city initiative, the partnership aims at distributing over 25,000 licenses to underserved students from urban and remote areas. Currently spread across Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka among other locations, the collaboration aims to empower students in the age group of 6-18, studying in both government schools and low-cost private institutions, by providing them with access to world-class digital learning programs.
Under this partnership, BYJU’S will offer high-quality, tech-driven learning programs to students, providing free streaming licenses and smart classrooms equipped with android boxes. This will enable students to have access to customised content and an interactive learning experience, bridging the gap between quality education and digital access. So far, the partnership with Smile Foundation has already achieved a significant impact, with more than 3500 individual student licenses and 91 classrooms with android boxes activated across the country during the pandemic, ensuring continuity of learning for children from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Speaking about the collaboration, Mansi Kasliwal, VP-Social Initiatives, BYJU’S said, “Our aim at Education For All has always been to democratize education and provide every child a level playing field to learn and achieve their dreams. We believe in addressing challenges in enabling equitable access to education and are pleased to partner with the Smile Foundation in this regard, which shares a common interest and goal. Through this collaboration, we have already created a significant impact in the lives of thousands of children and further aim to work cohesively to make a difference in the lives of thousands more.”
Gargi Kapoor, Deputy General Manager, Mission Education at Smile Foundation, said, “Our association with BYJU’S has been remarkable in more ways than one. Despite the barriers posed during the lockdown, thousands of our students had continued access to rich and varied digital content available on BYJU’S mobile app and android boxes, thereby enabling them to cross over the digital divide. These experiential learning experiences in the form of audio-visual interactive mediums have been a unique experience and precious in how they have created a lasting impression on young minds and enabled self-learning. Collaborations such as these are truly the need of the hour, and we look forward to more such opportunities in the days ahead!”.
Srishti*, student from a government school and beneficiary of the partnership says, “I was struggling to keep up with my studies during the initial days of the pandemic. But I am extremely grateful to the Smile Foundation for introducing me to BYJU’S Education For All. With the free access to BYJU’S digital learning programs and smart classrooms provided through the collaboration, I have been able to continue my studies seamlessly. The interactive and innovative learning experience has helped me understand complex concepts better and has made learning fun. Now, I am more confident in my abilities and have also witnessed a significant improvement in my grades.”
Launched in 2020, BYJU’S flagship social impact initiative ‘Education for All’ aims at bringing about a positive systemic change to the education ecosystem. With a mission to empower 10 million underprivileged children by 2025, the initiative has already impacted 5.5 million children in the remotest corners of the country through 175+ NGOs across 400 districts. Reinforcing its dedication to providing girls with an equal opportunity to learn, nearly 50% of the beneficiaries of BYJU’S Education for All programs are girls.
*Name of the beneficiary changed for the protection of identity.
BYJU’S Education For All With an aim to make digital learning accessible to millions of children from underserved communities, BYJU’S, the world’s leading edtech company, launched its social impact initiative – Education for All in 2020. The program aims at democratizing education by ensuring that children across all economic backgrounds get equal access to quality learning opportunities. The “Education for All” initiative serves to enable students from underserved and economically deprived communities with a better chance at upward social and economic mobility. This initiative aims at bridging the educational and digital divide by making quality learning accessible to the children in need. With over 175+ partners like American India Foundation, Smile Foundation, United Way, Right to Live, Magic Bus, SOS, Save the Children, CRY and more across 400 districts in India, the program has created a positive impact and reached over 55 lakh students in the last 1 year across the country. BYJU’S has also partnered with NITI Aayog to provide free access to its tech-driven learning programs for children from “aspirational districts” of the country. The company aims to accelerate its impact in reaching children who have no access to learning both on its own and through partnerships.
About Smile Foundation
Established in 2002, Smile Foundation is an Indian development organization that impacts the lives of over 15 lakh children and their families yearly. We have more than 400 projects on education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment in over 2,000 remote villages and urban slums across 25 states of India.
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