The American India Foundation (AIF), a non-profit organization dedicated to catalyzing social change in India, has earned recognition as one of the Akamai Foundation’s global STEM education grant recipients for 2023. This acknowledgment falls under the early learner K-12 grant program initiated by the Akamai Foundation, the charitable arm of Akamai Technologies Inc., a cloud company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The foundation administers two grant programs, focusing on early learner STEM grants for K-12 education and ’empower’ grants.
The primary objective of the STEM grants is to foster the development of the next generation of technology innovators by providing support for STEM education. Emphasizing excellence in mathematics and aiming to diversify the technology ecosystem, these grants play a crucial role in shaping the educational landscape.
Established in 2001 by a group of Indian Americans in response to the Gujarat earthquake, AIF is unwavering in its commitment to enhancing the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a particular focus on women, children, and youth. The organization achieves this through impactful interventions in education, livelihoods, and public health.
Earlier this year, AIF marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of India’s first STEM Innovation and Learning Center (SILC) at a Government Higher Secondary School in Chennai. This initiative is part of AIF’s Digital Equalizer education program, which addresses the educational and digital divide in India. The program prepares students, particularly young girls, for successful careers and lives.
The SILC features a dedicated technology and innovation corner, exposing children to subjects such as robotics, AI, and space technology. This innovative approach aims to nurture their curiosity in advanced STEM courses. Additionally, the center provides training for teachers to conduct techno-pedagogy-enabled classes and equips them with the Digital Equalizer Way of Teaching (DEWoT). Through these initiatives, AIF continues to make meaningful strides in advancing STEM education and bridging educational gaps in India.
