[ALUMNI-INFO TEXT="
From overcoming prevalent bias to equipping girls with coding and robotic skills, Aditi Prasad is looking forward and pushing boundaries."][/ALUMNI-INFO]
"It is essential that more young girls and boys are encouraged to take more risks, have more opportunities and choose challenging paths."
[ALUMNI-QUOTES TEXT="Co-founded by Aditi, Robotix Learning Solutions heads several efforts to educate girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The goal? To overcome both social biases and enhance future employment opportunities for girls in India. “In India, where technical degrees often lead to better jobs, Robotix is promoting educational pathways that lead to better careers and opportunities for girls," she explains.
Prevalent gender bias in India exerts pressure on girls and boys to pursue "appropriate" career paths, which mean dismal figures of females in STEM industries.
Thus the Indian Girls Code initiative was born, first as an after-school programme and as summer camps for girls as young as 4 or 5 years old. “Today, as many as 40 girls in the orphanage are being taught robotics and coding weekly and for free.”
Her passion for learning drove her to take up a Master in Public Policy at LKYSPP, where its “incredible faculty” and diversity “provided the best learning opportunity”. Upon graduation, she joined the School’s executive education department before moving back to India to work with IIT Madras’ China Studies Centre."][/ALUMNI-QUOTES]
But she has not forgotten her objective of educating Indian girls in STEM, and her work with Robotix has expanded since Indian Girls Code. Now, over 250 kids starting Grade 4 will continue with STEM programmes until they graduate from school.
In the future, Aditi hopes to “extend STEM and coding programmes to as many underprivileged girls as possible in India, and completely bridge the gender gap in STEM."