76 centres set up to remediate learning loss during pandemic handed over to Odisha govt

Odisha education, HDFC news: American India Foundation Trust and HDFC Bank partner to drive educational transformation in Odisha, impacting over 500,000 children.

American India Foundation Trust (AIFT) and HDFC Bank handed over the Learning Resource Centers (LRC) they were running to the community and the local administration in Balangir, Odisha. The event was presided over by Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha, and Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Member of Parliament, Balangir, Odisha.

Launched in 2021, the 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.

At that time HDFC Parivartan joined forces with AIFT's Learning and Migration Program (LAMP), to create the Learning Continuum Program (LCP). This programme was intended to help students in Balangir (Odisha) and East Singhbhum (Jharkhand) recover from pandemic-induced setbacks and educational disparities. The programme impacted 506,340 children, and 29,700 community members across 4200+ schools in Odisha and Jharkhand over the last 3 years.

The project has established 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.

AIF-established LRCs have created an environment where children from even the most marginalized communities can thrive academically. 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.