Reaching out to students
DEEPIKA ARWIND
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A look at Intel’s initiatives
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Intel’s Education Initiative has taken the Intel Teach programme (for teachers) to 15 States and two Union Territories across the country, and close to nine lakh teachers have been part of this programme.
Rahul Bedi, Director, Corporate Affairs, Intel South Asia, says that Intel Teach has two key motives. “One is to enhance teacher quality and in general to increase the capacity of our educational machinery. The other is to make changes in the cu
rriculum.”
The Intel Education Initiative also consists of three major components other than Intel Teach. Intel Learn is a student-focused programme in Mexico, Chile, Israel and Egypt, among others, and in India the programme claims to have reached over 52,000 students.
It was launched in 2004 in Kerala and Chandigarh, and in Kerala the response has been positive, says Mr. Bedi. The programme has worked well so far, possibly because of the engagement between Intel and government schemes such as Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.
Science fair
Another component of the initiative is the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, of which Initiative for Research in Innovation and Science (IRIS) is a part.
IRIS is a collaboration between Intel Science Talent Discovery Fair and Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) “Steer the Big Idea” project as well as the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
The objective is to promote and nurture newer ways of innovation, to reward outstanding projects as well as ensure a forum for young innovators to interact with members of the industry.
Annual IRIS fairs invite students between the fifth and 12th Standards.
Advancing innovation
The Intel Higher Education Programme attempts to advance innovation in key areas of technology and create more technical talent for Intel as well the industry as whole. It has collaborated with DST, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, and the Department of Technical Education, among other partners, to expand university curricula and engage in focussed research.
Reaching out
Apart from the specific goals Intel hopes to achieve through these components, Mr. Bedi says that the idea is to reach as many people as possible and give them the chance to integrate technology and innovation into their lives.
Speaking for the network of 200-odd people who are directly involved in the Intel Education Initiative and hundreds of others involved in different capacities, he says that the programme has been doing extremely well and hopes that it will go further in the same direction.
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