National, December 12, 2023: Procter & Gamble India (P&G India), makers of brands like Whisper, Tide, Gillette etc. today announced that as part of its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program P&G Shiksha, it is equipping nearly 80 government schools located in tribal communities across Maharashtra and Telangana with ‘Mindspark’ – an artificial intelligence enabled remedial learning tool, to help bridge learning gaps in underprivileged children. The tool integrates pedagogy, teacher instruction and a learning management system to assess a student’s learning level and develop a customized learning path for each one of them.
P&G Shiksha is setting up the unique ‘P&G Shiksha Mindspark Labs’ with its implementing partner Educational Initiatives (EI) and State Government Bodies, to empower tribal students in remote and underserved areas of Maharashtra and Telangana through access to quality education in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG 4).
Studies indicate that students in schools often fall behind in keeping pace with their classes, developing a gap in the fundamental conceptual understanding. When the child falls behind and the current learning level is not in line with the expected learning level as per the defined curriculum, a learning gap gets created. If not addressed, this can lead to lack of adequate education, or even dropouts. P&G Shiksha focuses on improving learning outcomes as part of its 360-degree holistic educational interventions, in line with the Government’s Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. As part of this, it is implementing unique and innovative programs like ‘Mindspark’ to minimize learning gaps and improve learning outcomes in children. The ‘Mindspark’ program is implemented in partnership with Education Initiatives, and the respective State Governments. The State Governments provide the Infrastructure in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to government schools, which is thereafter equipped with the Mindspark tool by P&G Shiksha and Educational Initiatives, to create a customized learning path for every child, as per their unique pace and journey of learning.
Following the International Volunteer Day, LV Vaidyanathan, CEO, P&G India inaugurated one such ‘Model P&G Shiksha Mindspark Lab’ at the Government Ashram School in Bhinar, near Thane in Maharashtra, in the presence of senior officials from P&G and EI. During the inauguration celebrations, P&G India, and EI, recognized and felicitated academically top-performing students, while employees of P&G India also volunteered their time towards organizing engaging activities for the children where they answered the curious minds of the students and shared their life journeys with them.
LV Vaidyanathan, CEO, P&G India said, “We truly believe that the most meaningful way of doing business is to improve lives, be it through our superior portfolio of daily use products, or by creating a positive impact for the communities we operate in. Through P&G Shiksha, we have made a longstanding commitment to education, which is also our way of contributing to the social development of the country. In line with this, P&G Shiksha has embarked on a mission to empower children and enable them to improve their learning outcomes via Mindspark. We do this in partnership with EI, curating a model that is not only replicable and scalable, but, most importantly, delivers results.”
He further added, “The recent International Volunteer Day celebrations emphasize upon our belief of leaving no child behind and reaffirms education’s role as an enabler for the next generation’s brighter future. We seek to ensure that children from underserved communities also have access to tools and resources that can help them make the most of education and stay at par, or better even, excel. By working together, we aim to empower tribal communities and contribute to their holistic and sustainable development in the long run.”
Pranav Kothari, CEO, Educational Initiatives said, “We are delighted to bring ‘Mindspark’ to the tribal communities of the country together with our longstanding partner P&G Shiksha. Tribal communities face unique challenges and disparities in their journey toward education and holistic development given the balance between traditions and modern needs. Tribal schools are located in remote regions where access to quality education is plagued by lack of infrastructure, and inadequate resources and teachers who may not know the tribal language or culture. In this context, it is imperative to drive interventions that can provide tailored assistance to individual children, fostering an environment where children receive personalized learning experiences and study meaningfully within their linguistic and cultural contexts. The ‘Model P&G Shiksha Mindspark Lab’ is an intervention that aims to deliver on this very need.”
Providing early-age education through technology equips children to pursue their career aspirations upon graduation, significantly reducing the likelihood of school dropout. This approach substantially enhances their employability prospects, leading to a multitude of positive life outcomes. The initiative envisions a future where tribal communities experience improved education, enhanced quality of life, economic sustainability, cultural preservation, and increased social inclusion. Through collective efforts of P&G Shiksha and Ei Mindspark, the initiative aims to empower tribal communities and contribute to their holistic and sustainable development in the long run.
Through P&G Shiksha, P&G India has been working to provide access to education to underprivileged children since 2005, impacting over 35 lakh children in doing so. P&G Shiksha and Educational Initiatives piloted the ‘Digital Remedial Learning Program’ in 2017, by equipping over 30 schools with Mindspark. Producing significant outcomes over the years, the Program now benefits over 75,000 children across hundreds of schools in the country, including more than 20,000 students from the tribal communities.
