Wipro Education Fellowship Program

Everything begins with an IDEA WIPRO EDUCATION FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN!

www.wiprofoundation.org

Image Courtesy: Vardhishnu

Wipro Education Fellowship Program

FROM IDEA TO IMPLEMENTATION

135

fellowship and grant partners since 2016

1,00,000+

children supported by building early-stage education non-profits in 23 states & UTs

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Partner Speak

Supriya Dey, Vision Empower, Karnataka

As Wipro Education Fellowship awardees since December 2017, the Vision Empower (VE) core team could sustain the organization's activities while in the research and pilot stage. Over the last three years, VE's projects have ranged from accessible content creation for teachers and students with blindness, training and support of teachers with blindness on Science, Maths, and Digital Literacy, and creating an accessible Computational Thinking curriculum for students with visual impairment through games. VE has also focused on developing technologies such as Subodha (an accessible Learning Management System) and Hexis, an affordable refreshable Braille display, for children.

The

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VISION EMPOWER

Being part of the Wipro network has been enriching in terms of knowledge sharing from NGOs working on the country's unique and diverse educational needs. Wipro Story has fostered our team's capacity-building through multiple training engagements such as Jodogyan training and the OD course from Azim Premji University. One can also gain insights and read about inspiring accounts from the network's ongoing activities in the Samuhik Pahal newsletter. Among other things, we wait for Wipro's annual Partners’ Forum event as it gives us time to step out of our limited boundaries and mingle with other organizations. Simultaneously, it also helps us introspect on the work done and plan in a structured way.

Vision Empower (www.visionempowertrust.org), incubated at IIITB Bangalore in August 2017, works to make education accessible and inclusive for students with visual impairment, with a special focus on STEM subjects.

Illustration featuring Vision Empower Co-Founders Vidhya (left) & Supriya (right).

Image Courtesy: Vision Empower

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Funding for creation and development of new education non-profits Wipro Foundation offers a Fellowship for up to three individuals, from the same organization, for up to three years, who are committed to improving educational quality in rural or urban India. Under this program, Fellows can work on improving the long-term effectiveness of their organization, get access to capacity building opportunities provided to Wipro Foundation's vast network of 200+ organizations, and remain focused on doing what they love to do.

Program Features: • Funding support for up to three founders/leaders

Photo: Organization Development Workshop at Wipro Foundation, Bengaluru

• Freedom to choose educational domains and geography • Capacity building on emergent needs by education experts and resource organizations such as Digantar, Vikramshila, Azim Premji University, Jodo Gyan, etc.

• Mentoring on organizational development issues • Networking and learning from young and experienced Wipro Foundation partners 4

Guiding Principles Demonstrated Capacities and Commitment: The program supports up to three founders/leaders who have already demonstrated certain capacities as well as shown serious commitment to the social/education sector through their past engagements (usually, through at least 2-3 years of full-time engagement with education or allied developmental issues).

Clear Organizational Objectives: The program aims to facilitate the development of stable educational CSOs who can create long-term engagements on school education, and thus have clear ‘organization building’ expectations from individuals and teams we support.

Engagement with Class/School Issues: While issues outside schools/classrooms (such as those related to community, nutrition/health, etc.) are decidedly important for effective education, to create effective education NGOs that can have a systemic impact, the founding team must be willing and able to engage directly with the children and teachers and ‘within-class/school’ issues (such as curricular and pedagogic).

Focused Approach: Education requires some degree of specialized knowledge, and effective educational NGOs are often willing to go deeper in a few educational domains/disciplines (as opposed to being generalists who attempt to address all educational issues or simply play the role only of mediators, e.g., by providing readymade content available to a set of schools).

Supportive Teams: If organizations have to develop and sustain over the long run, it is important to have teams of founders/leaders who have allied sensibilities and interests (which geography to work in, which educational domains to focus on, which demographics to cater to, etc.), and are also able to provide constructive feedback to each other and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Number of Fellowship per Organization: A maximum of three founders/leaders per organization will be supported through the fellowship at a time. In cases where multiple fellowships are requested for the same organization/initiative, the start date of all the fellowships cannot be staggered for over a year. This is to encourage Fellows to form strong teams as soon as possible and ensure that the founders have at least two years of overlap within the Wipro Education Fellowship Program.

Quantum, Mode and Duration of Financial Support: The financial support would be provided for up to three years from the date of signing the MoU and would amount to approximately Rs 3.6 lakhs/year, paid in the form of quarterly stipends. We also provide an additional grant for capacity building of the team, for instance, through workshops or field visits to other NGOs. Conditions for Continued Support: The continued support with stipend would be subject to adherence to the clauses of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Fellow and Wipro and satisfactory progress on the plans submitted during the selection stage (including an organizational development plan) as determined by periodic reviews and discussions and a detailed annual review. Depending on the outcome of these reviews, we may further extend the support after the three year term is over, on a case-to-case basis.

Image Courtesy: Swatantra Talim

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Image Courtesy: Swatantra Talim

Last date to apply:

May 5, 2022.

We encourage expressions of interest from applicants who have: • A commitment to work with the public education system in India • At least two years of experience working in the education sector and/ or have had academic exposure in education (e.g. B.El.Ed., M.A. Education, B.Ed, M.Ed.) • A long-term commitment to working in a specific geographical area, particularly in locations currently underserved by education non-profits • Experience of working directly with students/teachers, preferably within the public education system, or with a clear plan to do so • An openness to learning

Fellowship Stipend: Rs 3.6 lakhs each for up to three founders/leaders, for up to three years

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. I am working in an individual capacity as a volunteer teaching children in XYZ location.

Am I eligible for the Fellowship?

We expect applicants to be actively building or running an organization that is working towards strengthening the public education system. Volunteer teaching would not, in itself, meet the criteria for the Fellowship Program.

2. I am setting up an NGO to give evening classes to children from XYZ location. During the day, I will continue to do my day job to earn money for my daily expenses. Am I eligible for the Fellowship?

The Fellowship is offered for applicants currently working on a full-time basis, or intending to work full-time, on their initiative. Furthermore, your NGO must be actively engaging with the public education system, or have a clear plan to do so. Providing evening classes, will not in itself, meet the criteria for the Fellowship Program.

3. I have set up an organization to run a school for the tribal children staying in the reserved forest area. Am I eligible for the Fellowship?

The Fellowship requires applicants to be working with, or have a clear intention and plan to work with the public education system. Running your own school, does not in itself, meet the criteria for the Fellowship Program.

4. I live in Delhi but the project is being implemented in rural villages of Rajasthan. Am I eligible for the Fellowship?

Fellows must be based in the location where the initiative is being implemented. We are open to applications from anywhere in India.

5. There are four people involved in the organization, can we all apply for the Fellowship?

The Fellowship is offered to a maximum of three founders/leaders of an organization. We expect Fellows to be working full-time on the initiative and be holding a leadership/decision-making role within the organization.

6. My organization is under the process of being registered. Am I eligible for the Wipro Education Fellowship?

Yes, you may apply. However, to be considered for the Fellowship we would expect there to be a clear plan to register the organization within the next few months.

7. Can I use the Fellowship money to fund my organization?

The Fellowship stipend can be used as needed by the Fellow, towards salaries, programmatic expenses or other components that will help the organization conduct their work on their educational initiative.

8. Can I do my MA Education course alongside the Fellowship?

We welcome applicants who have undertaken an academic qualification in the education domain. However, applicants must be working on their initiative, or intending to work on their initiative, on a full-time basis. Applicants currently pursuing a full-time academic course would not be eligible for the Fellowship.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 9. We are using a specific, unique pedagogy to strengthen the quality of mathematics education? Are we eligible for the Fellowship?

The Fellowship program does not stipulate a particular pedagogical approach to be adopted by the team. We are open to applicants who have chosen to focus on a specific subject/thematic area.

10. I already receive money from XYZ funders/incubators/fellowships. Does that impact my chances of getting this Fellowship?

We prioritise teams that are in the early stages of building their organization. However, we are open to considering applicants who are already being funded by other organizations, as long as the funding is for programs aligned to the initiative being proposed to Wipro.

11. How does this Fellowship impact my taxes?

The Fellowship stipend is paid quarterly, into the bank account of individual Fellows. TDS will be deducted from the stipend. We can provide a TDS certificate if required.

12. My organization works with Children with Disabilities. Can I apply?

Yes, we support organizations from multiple thematic areas under education.

13. By when can I hear an update on my application?

The selection process involves multiple rounds. If you are selected, our team will get in touch for the next steps within eight weeks of applying for the Fellowship.

14. Will I be informed in case my application is not selected?

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we will be unable to reply to all applicants. In case you don’t hear form us within eight weeks, you may consider that we are not going forward with your application.

15. I would like to speak to someone at Wipro Foundation after applying. Who can I call or email?

We regret that we will not be able to respond to individual queries by phone or email after you have applied. If you have queries regarding the program, please refer to our website.

For specific queries, that are not addressed on the website, you may reach out to us using the contact form here.

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Wipro Foundation is a public charitable trust set up for corporate citizenship and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of Wipro.

www.wiprofoundation.org

Wipro Education Fellows on Cover (Top to Bottom): Swetha Guhan, Co-Founder, Key Education Foundation; Kushal Dattani, Founder, Samait Shala; Henna Khan, Founder, Universe Simplified; Girish Mahale, Founder, Pratyaya; Hemant, Kshitij, and Anish, Co-Founders, Art of Play; Risha Borooah, Founder, North East Education Trust.

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