Surat witnessed a grand World Book Day celebration on April 23, organized by the Adani Foundation in Dahej. The event, which took place in ten primary schools across Vagra taluka of Bharuch district, aimed to promote a reading culture among young students and encourage them to explore the world of books.

As part of the Adani Utthan project, 2,465 students participated in a variety of activities during the World Book Day festival. These activities included reading different books, creating colored book tags, and designing and decorating book cover pages. Teachers also encouraged each student to pledge to read 25 to 50 books in the upcoming year.

A highlight of the event was the oath taken by the students, which emphasized the importance of reading and books. Additionally, an incentive program was created to encourage students to read extra-curricular books.

During the 2022-23 academic year, the Adani Foundation distributed approximately 2,000 books to ten government schools through their dowry program. The foundation also supported the development of library corners in Kaladara and Kolyud schools, further promoting a love for reading among students.

Ahmedabad, April 14, 2023: The Adani Foundation has announced a collaboration with the National Institute of Education (NIE) International, a part of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, to develop and implement a comprehensive STEM Leadership Program. The initiative, facilitated by the Temasek Foundation (Singapore), will see 42 teachers from six Adani Foundation schools trained as master trainers to promote STEM leadership in India.

The program, spanning from April 2023 to December 2025, is divided into six phases. The first phase, which began on April 14, is already in progress. All training phases, except the fifth, will be conducted in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, by eight experts from NIE. The program will include a baseline study of STEM education in Gujarat, the development of an Integrated STEM Curriculum Framework, and the construction of STEM Curricular Leadership through online and in-person workshops. Master trainers will also share their learnings at a national three-day conference.

During the fifth phase, participants will travel to Singapore for hands-on workshops on emerging technologies and innovation at Singaporean universities and STEM companies. They will visit local schools to observe STEM lessons and engage with STEM teachers, fostering a strong network of STEM educators between Singapore and India.

The program aims to create an Integrated STEM Curriculum Framework tailored to the Indian context and aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This framework, encompassing standards, evaluation instruments, recommended approaches, and proposed activities, will be submitted for implementation across various educational boards in India.

The STEM Leadership Program will help empower Indian students by nurturing their curiosity and equipping them with the skills needed to address real-world challenges across disciplines. The initiative is part of the Adani Foundation's ongoing efforts to make quality education accessible and affordable for children across the country, through cost-free schools, subsidized schools, and smart learning programs.

The Adani Foundation is working to empower the Kotwaliya tribe of Pingot village, Gujarat by providing training and market linkage support. The skilled weavers of this primitive tribe have been creating beautiful baskets and other artefacts using locally sourced bamboo for ages. However, they face challenges due to a lack of awareness and support, and sell their products through exploitative middlemen who do not adopt fair pricing methods.

The Foundation's intervention in October last year has brought awareness among the Kotwaliya community, and so far 15 women and five men have been identified for support. They will soon receive modern equipment to increase the quantity and quality of their products. The group formation process has also begun, and the identified men will be utilized as resource persons to sell the products.

Usha Mishra, the Dahej Unit CSR head of the Foundation, said that the Kotwaliya tribe faces various challenges in procuring raw materials from the forest due to the Joint Forest Management Committee's insufficient constitution. But the Foundation's support has brought hope to the Kotwaliyas, who attended an exhibition-cum-training class in Bharuch and earned around Rs 700 on a single day.

Mishra further added that the Kotwaliya tribe will be registered under the government's livelihood mission and will be eligible for a revolving fund of Rs 30,000 once their group is formed. They can then open their own shops at the block level, and the Adani Foundation has already received a purchase order for corporate gifting. The Foundation's efforts will take time to show results, but they are positive about the tribe's upliftment.

The Adani Foundation's work for the Kotwaliya tribe is a step towards empowering indigenous communities and primitive tribes in the nation-building process. Strengthening grassroots and supporting local entrepreneurs will contribute to the overall growth of the country.