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We wish to provide digital literacy for children in and around under privileged communities in New Delhi with the following objectives :
• Technology Based, New Age learning for Learners of tomorrow
• Safe and Secure solution with minimal recurring cost
• Not dependent on the quality of the teachers
• Provide a play-way learning solution which will help them to become digitally literate and mainstream with "Digital India" initiative by the Government.
• Provide ample opportunity to develop and nurture 21st century skills.
• Act as a windows to the outside world, beside what these children and community experience on a daily basis.
• Serve to both in-school, out of school children and communities at large.
The under-privileged children who don't have any kind of access to digital technology and contents have a right to progress in life and in spite of lack of exposure; these children have an affinity to technology just like other children. This is a clear distinction between "have" and "have not" of the society. This initiative will help us reach the maximum number of under-privileged children as well as community at large in neglected areas of the society more effectively, to create visible impact of mass digital literacy and digital empowerment. The project is aligned with the aspects and objectives of T.E.A.C.H programme of Rotary International.
An observation visit was undertaken by the host team, in consultation with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SMDC) to identify the communities where the intervention will be implemented. On an average each of these communities has more than 1500 households and the number of children in the age group 6-14 years will be between 800-1000 in each community.
The following are the needs identified;
• Children in these communities don't have access to technology or advantage and benefits of high quality digital contents to support their learning and digital empowerment.
• Primary reasons include lack of suitable infrastructure, safety and security of implemented solution.
• No child centric digital learning platform which can provide a play-way learning methodology to help them to become digitally literate and mainstream with "Digital India" initiative by the Government in joy full learning environment.
To understand the project better and its intended benefits, the team also visited few of the project locations in communities of Delhi, where there is no facility which the children can call their own and observed and interacted with the children there. These under-privileged children have a right to progress in life with overall development to face the ever growing connected world.
We plan to set-up 50 (fifty) Hole-in-the-Wall learning stations at various selected under-served communities equipped with latest technology and learning contents (not only academic but also related to life skills and social awareness) for the children with a joy-full self-learning platform. These facilities will be installed on the boundary wall of the local municipality schools in consultation with South Delhi Municipality (SMDC) which will serve to both in-schools as well as out of school children with un-hindrance and free access. The facility will also act as social awareness information dissemination facility for the local community at large to empower them with digital technology and information. It will help the following major beneficiaries with its Minimally Invasive Education methodology;
Children:
• Break the fear of learning: In a new way of Joyful Playground Learning process and learning in a group, their ideas gain in complexity and power, and with appropriate support they develop critical insight into how they think and what they know about the world in a play-way with little or no adult intervention.
• Break the fear of Technology: Use and feel of technology in another learning dissemination - It help Bridge the Digital Divide and also children not exposed to computer earlier starts to navigate and use computers comfortably in a matter of months and become confident user of technology and break the fear of using technology or technophobia
• Mainstream Education: The project offer school drop-outs/ out of school children a chance at gaining learning free of cost and at the same time encourages them to enrol into regular schools- thus joining the mainstream.
Underserved communities:
Facilitation with respect to any relevant digital learning content for the people residing in the underserved areas has been accepted very well in diverse settings across the world. In such scenario, HIWEP Learning Station plays a critical role of holistic learning experience and spreading mass awareness on various life-skills and social aspects such as health-hygiene, water conservation and other alarming social issues.
Teachers & Local Resources-
Teacher acts a great motivator and encourages students to visit the learning to watch educational and edutainment videos and audio/visual content of concepts taught in the classroom. It has been observed and reported also from many locations where teachers actually uses the Learning Stations to prepare for their classes and help children to use the learning station for information search even if the computer facilities are not available in the school. They add to the overall development of the child and at the same time improve their own teaching process as well.
The learning Stations will have the following to support and increase the learning capacity in outreach and covering community. Being an open-play ground support, install on the boundary wall of the school, it will help us reach the maximum beneficiaries at any given time to spread mass digital literacy and awareness. The availability of this infra structure will immediately improve the coverage potential and have an immediate acceptance and impact among the beneficiaries, especially the children and positively impact the digital literacy. Hole-in-the-Wall Learning Station contains:
• Robust hardware/software, patented solution for playground and group learning
• Children have access over 500+ educational titles that cover English, IT, Science, Hindi, Math, GK as well as topics on Health/Hygiene, all this provided in interactive, game and activity based content.
• No teacher required, children learn on their own through guided exploration with limited or no adult intervention through it Minimally Invasive Education methodology.
• Learning Station is safe and secure, comes in a steel cage that is sturdy and not easily damaged.
• Learning Station is installed in open area so it is accessible to the children without any hindrance and psychological barrier.
• Children become teachers and learn 21st century skills like collaboration, working in teams in a play-way method.
• Motivate out of school children be part of the mainstream education system
• Covers all the aspects of T.E.A.C.H of Rotary International.
No. Description Supplier Category Cost in USD
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1. 50 Units of NIIT Foundation Equipment 93015.00
Hole-in-the-Wall
Learning Stations
2. Govt Taxes Taxes 11299.00
Total : 104314.00
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