Vodafone Idea Foundation, the CSR arm of Vi, and Ericsson India have partnered to set up Robotic Labs in ten schools across the country to provide new-age learning experiences to children from underserved communities, preparing them to participate in future technological studies.
Digital Labs has been designed to hand-hold school-going children aged 11 to 14 years, through their first experience with the world of programming and new technologies, says a statement from the companies. The partnership is aimed at improving the students’ education and employment prospects across Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) by providing an exciting learning experience and develop skills such as teamwork, problem-solving skills, critical thinking. Through this partnership, ten Digital Labs will be set up at Vodafone Idea Foundation schools in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Commenting on this initiative, P Balaji, chief regulatory and corporate affairs officer – Vodafone Idea Limited, and director – Vodafone Idea Foundation said: “Digital skills are a necessity for the holistic growth of the youth in the digital era. Exposing school going children to coding and robotics helps spark creativity, stimulates critical thinking, imbues a collaborative mindset and opens up a world of opportunities.”
The robotics course curriculum will focus on providing basic understanding of programming logic in the context of robotics, application of design theory on how to construct a robot to solve basic tasks, use of different datatypes such as string, Booleans etc. through a mix of face-to-face and virtual training sessions. A comprehensive Train-the-Trainer programme will help scale this up to benefit a larger segment of the society in future, adds the statement.
States Sonia Aplin, head of sustainability and corporate responsibility for Ericsson South east Asia, Oceania and India, “This introduction to ICT will set the foundation towards preparing these young students to be part of a digitally skilled workforce, aiding their economic and personal empowerment, and in turn creating a positive effect on India’s economy.”
