Vodafone Idea Foundation and Ericsson India to set up Robotic Labs in Schools

Vodafone Idea Foundation, which is the CSR arm of Vodafone Idea and Ericsson Idea, has now collaborated to set up robotic labs in ten schools across the six states in India.

Known by the name Digital Labs, the initiative will cater to the children from underserved communities in the age group of 11-14 years and will even teach them programming and some other basic technologies related to robotics.

P Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer - Vodafone Idea Limited and Director - Vodafone Idea Foundation, said, "Digital skills are a necessity for the holistic growth of the youth in the digital era. Exposing school-going children to coding and robotics helps spark creativity, stimulates critical thinking, imbues a collaborative mindset, and opens up a world of opportunities. Using our technology-based tools, we have been working with underprivileged children through various programs aimed at giving them an opportunity to learn, grow and compete. Taking our ‘Technology for Good’ mission forward, we are happy to partner with Ericsson to expose the young minds to higher-level skills and development, as well as encourage underserved groups to pursue advanced ICT education and enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields."

States Sonia Aplin, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility for Ericsson Southeast Asia, Oceania, and India, said, "We are delighted to partner with Vodafone Idea foundation towards setting up Digital Labs in schools across several states in India, empowering teachers and schools to deliver quality education and develop the digital skills of students. This introduction to ICT will set the foundation towards preparing these young students to be part of a digitally skilled workforce, aiding their economic and personal empowerment, and in turn creating a positive effect on India’s economy."

The robotics course curriculum will also focus on basic programming logic in applications of design theory, robotics, and how to construct a robot that can work on some of the basic tasks.

More technically, the students will also learn about different data types, such as Boolean and String. The teaching will occur virtually and in person.

The Foundation has already set up a few schools across the country. The collaboration will open digital labs across the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Gujarat.

Ericsson revealed that the collaboration will help to increase employment prospects across the stem subjects and will also develop skills such as critical thinking and teamwork problem-solving.