Acuity Knowledge Partners (Acuity), a leading provider of high-value research, analytics and business intelligence services to the financial services sector, and Muskaan Dreams have implemented Digital Shala, a joint initiative to make available digital learning opportunities to children in government schools in Barabanki District in Uttar Pradesh.
This initiative will provide teachers with the training, tools and support required for effective use of technology to teach students across the district. The programme aims to improve students’ learning experience by building teachers’ digital skills so they can provide each child with an opportunity to prepare for a rapidly evolving digital future.
“Social empowerment and inclusive development are core elements of Acuity’s CSR philosophy. Through Digital Shala, we aim to help bridge the digital divide in government schools with an easy solution for teachers,” said Avadhesh Dixit, chief human resources officer and head of Acuity’s CSR initiatives. “A WhatsApp-based interactive chatbot will connect with teachers and provide need-based digital skills and training modules on the effective use of technology. We also plan to provide smart TVs, grade-wise content and on-call/field support to teachers.”
The programme will start in the Barabanki district as a pilot project and will be scaled to cover a number of districts in Uttar Pradesh in the coming years in an effort to integrate ICT into the education system, in line with the National Education Policy 2021.
The long-term goal of this initiative is to empower teachers across India with digital skills, enabling them to develop the digital skills of the children they teach.