Promoting Gender Equity, American India Foundation joins hands with EY - Corporate Responsibility Program to empower girls through STEM Education

Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], September 30 (ANI/BusinessWire India): AIF's flagship education program - Digital Equalizer in partnership with EY launched the 'EY Skillbridge Program', as a part of their Corporate Responsibility program to enable 2,50,000 adolescent girls across 500+ schools in the country to become creators of technology rather than mere consumers.

Since 2004, Digital Equalizer has been bridging India's digital divide by providing and integrating technology into underperforming, under-resourced public schools. With an aim to empower adolescent girls with 21st-century skills such as problem-solving, computational thinking, and innovation, Digital Equalizer is launching the 'EY Skillbridge Program' in collaboration with EY Global Delivery Services (EY GDS). As a part of their corporate responsibility program, over the next three years, the project will empower 250,000 girls and over 1000 teachers in 500+ schools, across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Delhi NCR.

In alignment with National Education Policy 2020, the project aims to build scientific temperament in students, especially girls, through coding, life skills, career skills, and financial literacy. Breaking the gender stereotype and instituting equity, the project will build the self-confidence and resilience of young girls while supporting them with a pathway to careers.

"Our world is witnessing an era of intense transformation in all areas, whether it is education, global trade and, economy, technology or society. There is an emergent need to focus on holistic development that equips young people, especially girls, to not only make meaningful contributions to society but also prepare them for the vagaries that confront them in the future. We are happy to announce the collaboration with EY GDS Corporate Responsibility program, to prepare young women to be ready for tomorrow," said Sanyukta Chaturvedi, Director, Digital Equalizer, AIF, & CEO, Digital Equalizer Foundation.

EY Skillbridge Program will indoctrinate a scientific temperament and cognitive thinking in girls from grades 8 and 9 and further their development by instilling the requisite skills at an early age.

Mukul Pachisia, EY GDS Global Operations Leader, said, "Knowledge is not limited to a particular gender. To reap the full potential of technology and innovation, it is important that we encourage girls to excel in financial literacy and STEM skill sets. This will empower them to build a better tomorrow for themselves, their families, and the wider community. We are pleased to partner with the American Indian Foundation and launch the EY Skillbridge program that will focus on enabling young women to realize a strong future. We are happy that through this program, we can touch thousands of lives and accelerate the agenda of making STEM a gender-neutral skill in the future."
Working with state governments and education departments, the project will also build the capacity of the key players in the existing education ecosystem to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.

Speaking at the launch Dr Shalini Rajneesh, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Planning, Govt. of Karnataka, said, "American India Foundation is strengthening the youth of Karnataka with its programs in Livelihood and Education. We need to prepare our children and youth for the future and we are confident that AIF's Digital Equalizer program in partnership with EY GDS will equip our adolescents with 21st-century skills and prepare them for tomorrow."

The launch event was also attended by Sumangala, Director, Department of State Education and Research Training, Karnataka; Dr Bahuguna Saradhi, OSD to the Commissioner, Board of Intermediate Education, Telangana for Academic Inputs; Mukund Raj, Project Head UNDP Karnataka; Rumi Mallick Mitra, Director - CSR, EYGDS, and Sheeja Menon, Head - Academics, Digital Equalizer, AIF.
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