The fourth industrial revolution is upon us. It is crucial that we encourage today’s children to engage with digital skills. Vi Foundation in partnership with Ericsson India has set up a state-of-the-art Robotic Lab in Sayajinath Maharaj Vidyalaya and Jr. College, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune.
This is the first among the ten labs to be set up by Vi Foundation. It will set up new labs in the six states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Gujarat.
About the labs:
These robotic labs are equipped with robotic kits, 3D printer, laptops and a projector. The robotic lab will assist students of standard 6th to 9th through their first experience of world programming and new technologies. It aims to improve the students’ education and employment prospects across Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This will be done by providing learning experience and developing skills such as teamwork, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking.
Commenting on this initiative, P Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer – Vodafone Idea Limited, and Director – Vi Foundation said, “Leveraging technology for good is key to our social development agenda. We are happy to partner with Ericsson to set up Digital Labs across six Indian states.”
Vi Foundation’s technology-driven education programs aim to provide underprivileged children an opportunity to learn, grow and compete.
Amarjeet Singh, Vice President, Sales, West India, Ericsson, states, “The launch of 5G services in India has set the foundation for realizing the Digital India vision, and investing in building a future-ready workforce is a critical first step. This marks the first of the many labs that will equip thousands of students with the digital skills.”
The robotics course curriculum will focus on providing basic understanding of programming logic in the context of robotics. Further, application of design theory on how to construct a robot to solve basic tasks. Additionally, 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.
Vi Foundation’s Education and Literacy Programmes:
Vi Foundation has positively impacted over 1.6 million children through novel technological interventions like Jigyasa, Gurushala, and Teachers and Students Scholarship Programme.
The flagship programme ‘Jigyasa’ aims to build the capacity of teachers. Further, introduce digital content, training tools, and innovative pedagogy to make learning and teaching more enjoyable. Additionally, augment existing infrastructure as needed. Additionally, Gurushala, a knowledge-sharing & exchange platform. It digitally enables thousands of teachers and students to upload and access material for students learning & development anywhere and anytime. Vodafone Idea Students and Teachers Scholarship programme provides support to deserving students and outstanding teachers for e-learning infrastructure such as laptops, online courses etc.
