Vocational Training Center for women
The Educomp Foundation in partnership with JRE Group of Institutions has launched a Vocational Training Center for women and adolescent girls at Government Primary School, Jaitpur village. Kusum Foundation and VlCC are also key supporters of this programme. Through this vocational centre, which is a part of the ‘Mera Gaaon, Meri Zimmedari’ — village development plan, foundation will provide ‘Nari Shakti — training sessions’ to the village women. Kusum Foundation along with VlCC will provide training sessions in beauty and wellness programme for one month. VlCC will also provide the products for the training. It is expected that around 33 per cent of 1,500 village women will be benefitted by the training programme in the first phase.
IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) has announced the formation of IIMC Innovation Park (IIP), a section 8 company in Eastern India, to incubate and accelerate the growth of start-ups in India. There will be two arms of the Innovation Park— the Incubation Unit and the Innovation lab. The incubation unit would be for start-ups who would be mentored by IIMC alumni and faculty towards all aspects of establishing their ventures including development of business plan and funding from VCs and other sources. The Innovation lab could be availed by established organisation for their R&D activities or as a knowledge centre, through a credit point scheme.
The programme requires businesses to go through a give-back system (through credit points) to the institute in form of student participation in projects, involvement in traineeship and placement, workshops, guest lectureship, consultancy and research opportunity for faculty etc.
Child-friendly Schools and Systems
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) launched ‘Child-friendly Schools and Systems’ (CFSS) package. In CFSS, the content and methods of teaching-learning centre around children’s best interests and encourage the joyful participation of every child. Community members are closely involved in supporting and monitoring the quality of the school’s learning environment. It aims to make schools child-friendly and ensure secure, safe, rights-based, quality education, for each and every child.