Teach For India gets Rs 22 crore grant from Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

Teach For India (TFI) on Tuesday said it has received a Rs 22 crore grant from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF), which will help at least 15,000 students gain access to learning through technology.

TFI and MSDF have announced a three-year commitment, under which TFI will procure and distribute 3,000 tablets among students of grades 6 to 10 across Mumbai, Delhi and Pune, helping at least 15,000 students gain access to learning through technology, a statement said.

With blended learning, a mix of individualised online learning and traditional face-to-face learning, the programme will help students build 21st-century skills which are crucial, it added.

Teach For India said it has received a grant of Rs 22 crore.

"TFI's immediate aim is to distribute the 3,000 gadgets to students who currently have no access to any digital infrastructure required for virtual learning. When schools reopen, these gadgets will be reallocated in a 'device library' format where each gadget can be shared by at least 5 students, expanding the impact to 15,000 students," the statement said.

Data collected from the 32,000 students that TFI serves highlighted that 46 per cent of the students do not have a reliable device to learn on, 20 per cent of the students have migrated while 35 per cent of them required financial and food relief during the lockdown.

TFI noted that the lockdown made access to digital essential during the pandemic, TFI Fellows made learning accessible for students with innovative teaching techniques and methodologies.

"The funding from MSDF will also be used to support close to 80 fellows across Mumbai, Delhi and Pune over the next three years so that their students receive the excellent education they deserve," the statement said.

TFI CEO and founder Shaheen Mistri said the grant comes at a crucial time where many children are experiencing a loss in learning.

"Their (MSDF) commitment to put devices into the hands of our children not only demonstrates their agility in responding to a crisis but also exemplifies how committed they are to India achieving true equity," Mistri added.

MSDF Director India Programs Prachi Windlass said over the last few months, the organisation has worked closely with its partners to ensure children do not experience a disruption in learning.

"One key learning we've had is that lack of access to a device can be the biggest hindrance to e-learning. TFI's model of device sharing among neighbourhood children or helping children to borrow one from the library is the perfect model to continue the momentum of e-learning," she added.

Since the initial stages of lockdown, 32,000 Teach For Indiastudents have been utilising multiple forms of blended learning as a pilot.

With operations in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru, TFI has over 900 fellows impacting more than 32,000 children across the country. Post fellowship, they join a growing movement of over 3,400 alumni working at all levels of the education sector.

With over $200 million in investments over the past 14 years, MSDF has impacted the lives of over 12 million children and families in the country.