DEHRADUN, India, Sept. 11, 2024 -- In a significant move to enhance education in Uttarakhand, the state government has announced the expansion of the Sampark TV Smart Schools program to a total of 4,337 government schools under the SAMPARK Programme for the 2024-25 academic year. This initiative will transform traditional classrooms into engaging, technology-driven environments, directly benefiting 2.5 lakh children across the state.

Hon'ble Chief Minister, Sh. Pushkar Singh Dhami thanked Sampark Foundation for its efforts in the state and complimented them for this commendable initiative. He emphasised how the government is paying particular attention to the use of modern technology in education and how Sampark Foundation has provided excellent content to children in government schools through educational videos that cover class curriculums based on the National Education Policy. He further reiterated the continuous efforts made towards qualitative improvement in education in the state.

The success of the Sampark TV pilot program in Champawat, which was launched in May 2023 and resulted in a 40% improvement in learning outcomes, has driven this expansion. Now, the program will benefit schools across all districts. Shri Ravinath Raman, Secretary Education, Government of Uttarakhand, Shri Vineet Nayar, Founder-Chairman, Sampark Foundation, Dr K. Rajeswara Rao, President, Sampark Foundation and senior education department officials joined the Chief Minister at the official launch.

Sampark Foundation, which has partnered with Uttarakhand's education department since 2014, has committed INR 75 crore to this transformative school program. Mrs. Anupama Nayar and Shri Vineet Nayar, both from Uttarakhand, expressed their deep connection to their home state and their commitment to giving back.

Vineet Nayar, expressing his gratitude, said, "Being from Uttarakhand, both Anupama and I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to give back to our home state. We are deeply grateful to the teachers and leaders in the education department who have partnered with us, working tirelessly to ensure that no child is left behind in Uttarakhand. Their dedication inspires us, and together, we hope to make a lasting difference in the lives of thousands of children across the state."

Under this program, Sampark Foundation will provide 43-inch TV sets and Sampark TV devices (Android set-up boxes with remote controls) to schools at no cost. These devices come preloaded with 1,000 hours of interactive educational content, including 500 lesson plans, gamified assessments, and engaging videos for classes 1 to 8, all mapped to the state curriculum. The system is designed to function offline, requiring an internet connection only for periodic syncing.

The Sampark TV Smart Schools program aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) and aims to foster critical thinking and creativity in students. By providing advanced, globally-inspired teaching resources tailored to local needs, Sampark Foundation seeks to make classrooms more joyful and effective for both teachers and students.

Vineet Nayar further added, "Our goal is to empower teachers with global pedagogy adapted to local needs, making education both accessible and impactful. We are committed to ensuring that every child in Uttarakhand has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed."

The district administration will play a key role in ensuring the program's success by conducting teacher training, monitoring progress, and assessing the impact of the Sampark TV initiative in all schools.

About Sampark Foundation

Sampark Foundation, co-founded by Anupama Nayar and Vineet Nayar (Former Vice Chairman and CEO of HCL Technologies, and author of the Harvard Business Press Bestseller Employees First, Customers Second), has made a committed investment of INR 700 crore to transform primary education across India. Sampark's Smart Shala program currently impacts 1,20,200 schools in eight states: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand. Sampark Foundation's innovative approach is also the subject of a Harvard Business School case study, underscoring its global impact in the field of education.

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