Bangalore, August 14. On the eve of Independence Day (August 15), Vidyashilp Academy, Bangalore, signed up to join the global Fairtrade Schools network. Students of Fairtrade Schools in Germany, Australia and UK welcomed Vidyashilp students into the Fairtrade network. Moreover Sarvaiya Pravinkumar Nagajibhai, a Fairtrade cotton shareholder of Soundarya Farmers Producer Co, Gujarat, from whose cotton Vidyashilp School uniforms are made, inaugurated a two-week Fairtrade activities programme on the school campus.

“The Fairtrade network works with farmers and workers all over the world to ensure they have access to better prices, fair wages, and better soil-water-waste management techniques. We want to make our students aware of the farming crisis in India and of the power that consumers have to empower people in our food and fashion supply chains,” says Kalai Selvi, head of school at Vidyashilp Academy.

 

Khan Academy launches LearnStorm

New Delhi, August 14. The Delhi-based Khan Academy India (KAI) launched its LearnStorm India (learnstormin.khanacademy.org) free-of-charge six-week online learning programme for class III-VIII students countrywide.

LearnStorm combines practice problems and mindset activities to help students master core academic subjects, motivate classrooms and build student confidence, according to a KAI spokesperson. Teachers can sign up for the LearnStorm programme starting September 5 through October 19, using their free Khan Academy account, or by creating one at www.khanacademy.org.

“With Khan Academy’s teacher-specific tools, educators can leverage technology to deliver the dream of personalised learning for every student. We’re excited to give teachers a fun way to engage students with LearnStorm India. It has a rewards system that will have students across the country leaping out of their chairs, no matter where they are in their educational journey,” said Sandeep Bapna, managing director of KAI, addressing the media.

“LearnStorm is an inspiring programme for students to learn to embrace challenges and understand that tenacity, effort and grit have a huge impact on their success in the classroom and the rest of their lives,” added Salman Khan, the legendary founder of the Khan Academy Inc, USA. Khan Academy India is a not-for-profit organisation founded by Khan Academy Inc and the Tata Trusts.

 

Mindler ICCC programme
New Delhi, August 20. Forty participants of the first three-month International Certification Course for Career Counsellors (ICCC) were felicitated on completion of their study programme at a ceremony presided over by institutional representatives of Mindler. A Delhi-based enterprise providing technology-enabled career guidance, Mindler is a division of the Delhi-based Taxmann Education Pvt. Ltd.

Designed by Mindler in collaboration with Career Development Alliance (CDA), USA, the three-month ICCC programme enables counselling professionals to learn international best practices in career counselling. The first batch commenced classes in April with 40 participants from India, Dubai and Oman. The certification programme including 80 credits was delivered through classroom learning, online webinars, case studies, assignments, live projects and final evaluation.

“The programme imparted coaching and counselling skills to prospective career coaches and empowered them with state-of-the-art guidance tools. This will help millions of students in need of robust career guidance. This initiative is in sync with our plans to scale up the Mindler platform which can be used by career coaches around the world,” said Prateek Bhargava, CEO of Mindler Education, which has drawn up plans to train over 10,000 career coaches/counsellors over the next five years.

 

Nissan Roots of Design India launch

Chennai/Bangalore, July 31. After successfully engaging with aspiring students of automotive design in Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and Beijing, Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president of global design at the Nissan Motor Co. Ltd, Japan, launched the company’s Roots of Design programme in India on the Chennai Public School’s Anna Nagar campus.

The stimulating inaugural session by Albaisa was attended by a packed auditorium of class XI and XII students of the Chennai Public School, their parents and staff members. Albaisa gave them an overview of the history of automotive design, Nissan’s design philosophy, and future of the auto industry in the age of artificial intelligence and automation.

“The world around us is changing fast and so is the auto industry. Designers will play a key role in what the future looks like, not just in the auto industry, but across technology, infrastructure, electronics, consumer durables etc. Through the Roots of Design, we are opening doors to the world of design and the numerous opportunities it offers aspiring students worldwide,” he said.

A report of the British Council in partnership with the Design Council of India has estimated the size of the design business in India at Rs.18,832 crore by 2020. Only about a fifth of this market is currently being tapped. “The fact that from a handful in 2010, the number of design institutions has grown to over 70 by 2016, is a testimony to the growing need for talent in this industry,” added Albaisa.