American India Foundation Trust and HDFC Parivartan Hand Over Learning Resource Centers, Driving Educational Change in Odisha

Balangir, Odisha, India - Business Wire India

American India Foundation Trust (AIFT), catalyzing social and economic change in India for the past 23 years, in partnership with HDFC Bank celebrates the handover of their coveted Learning Resource Centers (LRC) to the community and the local administration in Balangir, Odisha. The event presided over by Hon'ble Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha, and Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Balangir, Odisha, highlights the deep commitment of HDFC Bank and AIFT to driving sustainable, scalable, and community-owned educational transformation in the state.

Launched in 2021, the wildly successful HDFC Parivartan Project worked to overcome the crude learning losses accrued due to COVID-19. As schools shuttered in a bid to curb the virus's spread, 320 million Indian students faced an unprecedented disruption in their academic journeys, with the school bells silenced for over 500 days. The learning loss was particularly severe for the marginalized and tribal communities and for those from rural areas or lower-income families.

To confront this crisis head-on, HDFC Parivartan joined forces with AIFT's Learning and Migration Program (LAMP), to create the Learning Continuum Program (LCP). This innovative program, designed to rejuvenate education in Balangir (Odisha), and East Singhbhum (Jharkhand), helped students recover from pandemic-induced setbacks and exacerbated educational disparities, impacting 506,340 children, and 29,700 community members across 4200+ schools in Odisha and Jharkhand over the last 3 years.

The project has revitalized education by establishing 72 Learning Resource Centers (LRCs), complemented by 504 Spoke Schools and 3669 Model School Partnerships, focusing on foundational literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning. The LRCs provide personalized remedial support tailored to children's unique learning needs through visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic methods, boosting literacy, technology, and social skills.

Lauding the initiative, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha, expressed, "Sometimes I wish I were a child and I want to come to the school and study. AIF-established LRCs have created an exceptional environment where children from even the most marginalized communities can thrive academically. Aligned with Odisha Government's vision, this initiative ensures that every child has access to the tools they need to succeed, regardless of their background."

Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Balangir, Odisha said,"I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to HDFC Bank and the American India Foundation Trust for their unwavering commitment to this cause. The establishment of 48 Learning Resource Centers, along with Block Resource Centers and Spoke Schools in Odisha, is a testament to the power of collaboration and the dedication of all involved. These centers will continue to serve our communities for years to come, ensuring that no child is left behind."

Mr. Sundeep Mishra, HDFC Bank Branch Manager said, "As part of this commendable effort towards sustainable progress and improving educational opportunities for vulnerable communities HDFC Bank Parivartan project implemented by American India Foundation has developed 48 sustainable Learning Resource Centers (LRCs) and set up 10 Block Resource Centers across Odisha. This initiative is making sustainable progress in the lives of many."

In collaboration with the government, the project, also established 18 Block Resource Centers (BRCs) across Odisha and Jharkhand, which focus on teacher training and remedial education techniques. Over 11,140 teachers have been trained through these centers, equipping them to deliver personalized instruction and improve grade-level competencies. Additionally, the program emphasizes STEM education, providing digital and teaching resources to improve access and equity.

The handover event was attended by key representatives from HDFC Bank and AIFT, including Mr. Sundeep Mishra, Bank Manager, HDFC Bank; and Ms. Smruti Das, Regional Director (East), AIFT and Mr. Subrat Sarkar, Head Government Relations.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Smruti Das, Regional Director (East), said, "Education is not just a right, it's the single most powerful weapon we have to break the cycle of poverty and oppression. For the disenfranchised, education is the great equalizer, the foundation of dignity, empowerment, and freedom. We at AIFT are proud and thankful to walk this path of shared vision with partners like the Government of Odisha and the HDFC Bank. Through programs like these, we are not just changing individual lives; together, we are rewriting the future of entire communities."

About The American India Foundation Trust

The American India Foundation Trust (AIFT) is committed to improving the lives of India's underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth. The Foundation does this through high-impact interventions in education, health, and livelihoods because poverty is multidimensional. Founded over two decades ago, in the aftermath of the devastating Gujarat earthquake, as a humanitarian initiative, AIFT has impacted the lives of 18.88 million of India's poor across 35 States and Union Territories of India.

About HDFC Bank

HDFC Bank, are deeply committed to making a positive impact to the environment, customers, employees and the community at large. Sustainability is one of their core values. Through the HDFC Bank initiatives under HDFC Bank Parivartan, strive towards the socio-economic development of the society by sustainably empowering communities. HDFC's initiatives under HDFC Bank Parivartan focus on the areas of Environment, Rural Development, Education, Skill Development and Livelihood Enhancement, Healthcare & Hygiene and Financial Literacy. So far HDFC Parivartan initiative have touched 10 crore+ lives across 24+states. 

About Learning and Migration Program

Learning and Migration Program (LAMP), addresses the complex issues faced by children at risk of distressed migration and climate-induced displacement, providing them with the education, resources, and support to disrupt the cycle of intergenerational poverty and child labor. LAMP ensures that children from migrant families stay in school, and acquire strong foundational skills. To offset learning regression or gaps, the Program also delivers remedial learning to ensure age and grade-appropriate education for children. The Program focuses on STEM education, equipping schools with Teaching Learning material (TLM), digital resources, and teacher training, to increase access and equity to educational resources. Since its inception in 2006, LAMP has impacted 1.59 million children and steered 5,432 villages across 17 states and union territories of India to eliminate obstacles to quality education.

Media Contact Details
Shreya Ralli, American India Foundation (AIF), Shreya.ralli@aif.org

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