THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Intel® Education will conduct 32 block festivals in eight districts in the State to encourage Akshaya centres to reach out to over 5,000 children in developing their critical thinking, problem-solving abilities and technological and interactive skills.

The campaign also hopes to enroll more children for the Intel® Learn program.

Effort
The Intel® Learn program is an effort to reach out to children and adolescents in communities with limited or no access to technology. The program achieves the goal through effective community based education propagated by successful models of learning that are basically outside the formal school setting.

Curriculum
Aimed at learners in the age group of 8 to 16 years, the curriculum of the Intel® Learn program addresses areas that involve the use of digital technology, communication tools and networks to access, manage and integrate information to function in a knowledge based society. Integration It will also focus on integration of technological and cognitive skills and creation of meaningful and relevant community based projects. According to State Information Technology Secretary Ajay Kumar, over 40,000 children from eight districts across the State have benefited from the Intel® Learn program.

Collaborative effort
In the State, the program was launched in collaboration with the State IT Mission in 2004 in Malappuram district. Based on its successful implementation, the program was rolled out to other districts in a phased manner. A total of eight districts are implementing the Intel® Learn program through Akshaya centres in the current year.