Transforming Education in Odisha: HDFC Bank and AIFT's Groundbreaking Initiative

HDFC Bank and the American India Foundation Trust (AIFT) have handed over Learning Resource Centers (LRCs) in Balangir, Odisha, marking a significant milestone in their collaborative effort to address learning losses due to COVID-19. The project, part of the HDFC Parivartan initiative, has positively impacted over 500,000 children across 4,200 schools in Odisha and Jharkhand.

In a significant handover ceremony, HDFC Bank and the American India Foundation Trust (AIFT) celebrated the community-driven Learning Resource Centers (LRCs) initiative in Balangir, Odisha. The event highlighted deep commitments to educational transformation in the region, attended by notable dignitaries including Hon’ble Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha, and Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Member of Parliament, Balangir, Odisha.

The HDFC Parivartan Project, launched in 2021, directly addressed severe learning losses inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted academic progress for 320 million students nationwide. HDFC Parivartan, in collaboration with AIFT’s Learning and Migration Program (LAMP), launched the Learning Continuum Program (LCP), rejuvenating education in Odisha and Jharkhand. This initiative significantly aided marginalized and rural communities, benefiting 506,340 children and 29,700 community members across 4,200+ schools in the two states.

Over the past three years, the project's establishment of 72 Learning Resource Centers, 504 Spoke Schools, and 3,669 Model Schools focused on foundational literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning. The initiative included setting up 10 Block Resource Centers in Odisha and 18 in Jharkhand to enhance teacher training and remedial education techniques, advancing grade-level competencies for over 11,140 teachers. The project owes its success to strong collaboration with local administrations and community engagement.

(With inputs from agencies.)