Cisco to Support Govt Schools with Mobile STEM Libraries through Pratham Books

Pratham Books Foundation, in partnership with Nasdaq-listed Cisco, an American multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in San Jose, California in the center of Silicon Valley, on Friday announced supporting over 100 Government schools across the district of Gurugram with mobile STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Libraries. Each library kit would include more than 100 books in both English and Hindi language providing young minds with an experiential learning platform and to encourage an avid reading habit amongst children. The close to Rs 5000 crore US-based company, otherwise, develops, manufactures and sells networking hardware, telecommunications equipment and other high-technology services and products.

To landmark the announcement, Harish Krishnan, Managing Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Engagements, Cisco handed over a library kit to Amit Khatri, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram in the presence of Himanshu Giri, CEO, Pratham Books.

Pratham Books is non-profit publisher creating engaging storybooks in multiple languages and formats to help children discover the joy of reading – in languages they can understand, set in locations they can recognize, featuring characters with whom they can identify, and telling stories that capture their attention and fuel their imagination. Since 2004, Pratham Books has been creating engaging storybooks in multiple languages and formats to help children discover the joy of reading – in languages they can understand, set in places they can easily recognize and related to, featuring characters with whom they can identify, and telling stories that capture their attention and fuel their imagination. Their books delight and enchant children, taking them on adventures and introducing them to new worlds.

As part of the partnership with Cisco, they have developed 85 unique titles over a time-span of three years, in nine different Indian languages. Some of the books include - Math at the Mela which provides an introduction to skip counting, Password Please provides an introduction to cybersecurity, explaining the importance of passwords to keep data safe and Who Drives the Driverless Car?  Explains the concept of navigation done by computers to drive a car.

Amit Khatri, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram, said that stimulating and carefully curated content plays a pivotal role in shaping the minds of young children. As we move towards a digital era, such books rouse great interest among younger students, thereby shaping their future choices. Making these books available in local languages will further increase the chances of wide adoption. He is confident that these libraries will add to their efforts to make their students more capable and competent, he said.

Harish Krishnan, Managing Director, Cisco India, said that through this partnership with Pratham, they wish to fill classrooms with colourful illustrations, localized content in Indian languages, and exposure to simple concepts that are important in a Digital Era. This is aligned with their commitment to positively impacting 50 million beneficiaries in India by 2025 and will help children overcome the barriers to reading and become lifelong learners, he said.

Himanshu Giri, CEO, Pratham Books, on his parts, said that at Pratham Books, they are committed to the idea of ‘a book in every child's hand’. Recognizing the immense reading deficit among India's children, Cisco has partnered with them to develop a range of multilingual STEM-themed storybooks that will help build much-needed STEM literacy among children. Libraries in a hundred primary schools in Gurugram will help thousands of children benefit from reading, learning, and exploring the world around them, he said.