Over 10,000 students reached
through AI-powered NEP 2020 aligned learning in coding and financial literacy;
50+ student-led projects showcased from Lucknow and Varanasi at event in Lucknow
Held in Lucknow, UTSAV 2025 marked the
culmination of an initiative that has empowered over 10,000 government school students across Lucknow and Varajnasi
through TAP Buddy, an AI-powered
learning solution focused on building foundational skills in coding and financial literacy.
Throughout this
past year, students navigated interactive modules pacing their learning journey
through AI-supported content and contextual prompts. The 50 most promising projects,
selected from hundreds of entries, were showcased at the event to educators,
Microsoft leaders, and state officials.
The event was
graced by Shree Vishnukant Pandey,
ASPD Madhyamik Shiksha Vibhag, and Shree
Rajkumar, Quality Cell Head - RMSA Madhuamik Shiksha Vibhag as Chief
Guests, alongside Shree Gunjan Patel
, Director & Head AI Skills, Skills for Social Impact Microsoft India joining online.
“AI is swiftly taking over the world - and as
teachers, students, principals and administrators it is our job to educate
ourselves on how to use AI and further our capabilities,” shared Shree Vishnukant Pandey,
ASPD Madhyamik Shiksha Vibhag. “The
government has a lot it wants to achieve on-ground, but it has to depend on
teachers for execution at the grassroot level. In this undertaking
organisations like TAP come as a blessing, where they bring together our
students, our teachers and giants like Microsoft to work hand in hand with us
towards a larger mission.”
A panel
discussion titled “Nayi Shiksha, Nayi
Soch: Equipping Uttar Pradesh’s Students for Life and Work” brought
together educators, field experts, and policymakers to explore the future of
inclusive learning. Along with the showcase by students the attendees also got
the opportunity to attend a seminar on AI
and the Future of Education led by TAP’s leadership team.
“When we talk about AI, we often talk about it from
the lens of the future - but AI is the present. It is in the now. So I would
like to stress that not just students but also teachers should equip themselves
with the skills to harness the power of AI.”, said
Shree Gunjan Patel, Director & Head AI Skills, Skills for Social Impact
Microsoft.
Empowering Students Through AI and Experiential Learning
Initiated in
Lucknow and Varanasi as a pilot for Uttar Pradesh, TAP’s initiative has enabled
students from government schools to explore and apply 21st-century skills in
practical ways. With
the official Letter of Engagement from the Department of Secondary Education,
Uttar Pradesh, TAP with support from Microsoft India is set to scale AI-driven
learning across 17 districts in government and government-aided schools for the
academic year 25-26, thus impacting a further 5,000 teachers and 1,50,000+
students.
At the heart of
all these transformations is TAP Buddy,
a chatbot integrated with GPT-3.5,
offering a personalized, self-paced
curriculum across Coding, STEM, Arts, and Financial Literacy.
Through a partnership with Bhashini,
an AI language platform by the Government
of India, TAP Buddy provides translations
into Indian languages, ensuring students can learn in their mother tongue and access safe, inclusive education.
“With TAP Buddy, we’re not
just teaching students how to code or manage money—we’re introducing them to a
way of thinking that sets them up for long-term success,”said Monica Pesswani,
Co-Founder of The Apprentice Project. “TAP’s
partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and support from Microsoft
India is creating an education model in UP that directly contributes to the
IndiaAI vision of inclusive, transformational development.”
Taking
innovation further, TAP is introducing an AI-driven,
evaluation platform to assess student projects and track cognitive skill development. This automated feedback system provides data-driven insights, enabling students
to strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving abilities essential for
future success.
About The Apprentice Project:
The Apprentice Project (TAP) is a non-profit
organization dedicated to empowering
children from underserved communities by nurturing 21st-century skills through creative learning in Science, Technology, Arts, and Leadership. By combining AI-driven technology with a multilingual approach, TAP is breaking
educational barriers and fostering a new
generation of leaders and innovators. Founded by alumni of Harvard, IIM B
and Teach for India, TAP facilitated more
than 482,000 interactions on the app, serving 34,000 students across 246 schools during 2023-24. Students
engaging with TAP’s curriculum have shown a twofold improvement in creativity, problem-solving, and emotional
management compared to their peers.
For more
information on TAP’s initiatives and future events, or to explore partnership
opportunities, please contact:
Meghna Verma Darkim
[Sr. Partner Communications, The Apprentice Project]
+91 8373978720
meghna.v@theapprenticeproject.org