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American India Foundation and Adobe Systems Incorporated Partner to Bring Multimedia and Digital Tools to Students Across India

- AIF will bring the Adobe Youth Voices Program to 25 sites across Delhi and Bangalore

The American India Foundation (AIF) and Adobe Systems Incorporated are partnering to bring the Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) program to 25 sites in the Delhi and Bangalore geographies over the 2007-2008 academic year. AYV is Adobe’s global philanthropic initiative, empowering youth worldwide to comment on their world using multimedia and digital tools to communicate and share their ideas, demonstrate their potential, and take action in their communities. AIF will be the primary vehicle for AYV’s deployment in India and will be responsible for program implementation and management. AIF’s Digital Equalizer Program (DE) has long been committed to initiatives that engage, educate, enrich and empower India’s underserved children by bringing technology to over 550,000 students across India.

“As Adobe Youth Voices expands in India, AIF provides an ideal channel to continue our commitment in helping build digital literacy skills across the country,” said Michelle Mann, senior group manager, community relations and corporate affairs for Adobe. “Our view is that this partnership will deliver a culturally relevant and impactful program to meet the needs of India’s youth and educators.”

AYV will be an exciting program for middle- and high-school aged youth as they develop 21st century skills, recognize their own voices, and realize their potential as global citizens. This partnership enables them to establish skills in youth-created media projects, including videos, documentaries, digital photography, photo journalism, animations, websites, and multimedia.

“The DE initiative has harnessed the financial capital of leading corporations and individuals and the intellectual capital of entrepreneurs, educators, and leading social change experts to build a program that has proven its effectiveness. By the end of 2007, the DE program will be a central part of the curriculum in 1500 schools across 13 states. AIF has always been committed to innovative and sustainable social initiatives, and our partnership with Adobe will provide students in both DE and non-DE sites the ability to use newly acquired technology skills to advocate for social change. We are equipping them with skills to improve their own lives and make meaningful impact in their communities.” said Mythili Sankaran, Program Director, Digital Equalizer Program.

About AIF

The American India Foundation (AIF) is a leading international development organization charged with the mission of accelerating social and economic change in India. AIF awards grants to education, livelihood, and public health projects in India — with emphases on elementary education, women’s empowerment, and HIV/AIDS, respectively.

AIF also administers two programs: (1) Service Corps, which develops young American leaders by placing them with Indian non-profits based on skills and need and (2) Digital Equalizer, which bridges the “digital divide” by providing computers, Internet,  and training to under-resourced schools. Source: prnewswire

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