Nonprofits bring STEM training to women in India
Article By : EE Times India
With the help of Nvidia, the four organisations will offer courses in coding, robotics, digital media and software programmes.
GPU manufacturer Nvidia has funded four nonprofits in India that will train nearly 1,000 young women in basic computer skills, coding, photography and filmmaking.
The Anudip Foundation for Social Welfare, Feminist Approach to Technology, the Gyanodaya Foundation, and Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled all share a focus on technology education and vocational training for girls and young women, according to the tech company. However, most women engaged in these programmes haven’t been exposed to STEM-related training.
The four organisations plan to offer courses in coding, robotics, digital media and software programmes like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. This coursework, along with field trips to destinations like the Indian Institute of Technology and Nvidia’s office in Pune, encourages the young women to pursue further STEM-related education and give them a chance to learn more about what it’s like to work in the tech industry.
Anudip will use Nvidia’s grant to run a digital livelihood training and placement program for 300 girls and women from impoverished communities. The programme, which will serve Hyderabad and Rangareddy, includes an intensive 12-week course in basic computer skills, financial literacy and corporate readiness, and has a strong focus on helping women develop career paths and secure jobs in corporate sector.
Meanwhile, the Feminist Approach to Technology will use its Nvidia grant to offer training in photography and filmmaking for students who’ve completed basic computer skills training courses, and to expand its programme to new students to begin basic training. Last year, the group opened an Nvidia-funded centre in Pune and hosted training for more than 60 girls and women from 10 nearby slum communities.
The Gyanodaya Foundation will expand its Slum Innovation project to serve Bangalore and Hyderabad, in addition to offering support to existing projects in Pune and Mumbai. Gyanodaya's programme, which served almost 400 girls last year, includes intensive training in programs such as computer science, robotics and web design. The project goal is to teach leadership and entrepreneurial skills to girls and women from rural areas and urban slums, Nvidia said.
Figure 1: Computer training by Samarthanam Trust (Source: Nvidia)
The Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled will use Nvidia’s funding to train 200 underprivileged women and women with disabilities through a three-month residential computer skills training course. The curriculum is focused on basic computer skills and relevant industry requirements, as well as training sessions on business etiquette, job searching and job interviews.