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Adobe Youth Voices Completes Third Successful Year in India
IT News Online Staff
2009-07-02

The Adobe Foundation has announced the completion of the third successful year of its signature philanthrophic program, Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) in India. The Foundation showcased some of the exemplary creative work completed this year by children in 10 sites across Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon.

This program is a part of Adobe's global philanthropic initiative, currently being run in 31 countries around the world. The American India Foundation (AIF) has been AYV's primary deployment partner in India since 2007.

Adobe said the AYV-India Program is a partnership between the Adobe Foundation and AIF that empowers youth to comment on their world by using multimedia and digital tools to share their ideas, demonstrate their potential, and take action in their communities. AYV-India includes 25 schools in the National Capital Region and Bangalore and reaches out to more than 1000 children.

"Our global initiative, Adobe Youth Voices, is about enabling young people with critical skills and confidence that help them become productive and engaged members of the community," said Naresh Gupta, managing director, Adobe India, and senior vice president, Print and Publishing Solutions Business Unit. "Through this program Adobe is aiming to make a positive difference in diverse underserved communities."

Through AYV, middle-and high-school aged youth develop critical thinking, collaborative learning and effective communication skills. The program enables them to acquire the skills needed to create media projects, including videos, documentaries, digital photography, photo journalism, animations, Web sites and multimedia.

Rashmi Soni, senior communications manager, Adobe India, said, "We are delighted to announce the completion of the third year of Adobe Youth Voices in India and to see the overwhelming response from India's youth. This unique program engages young people in exciting and meaningful new ways and enhances educators' skills and resources while encouraging participants' creative work. Adobe Youth Voices has been a tremendous success and is growing larger every year."

This year, the completed projects include photo essays, documentaries and animation films on a variety of topics. One of the highlights was three public service announcements made by students of Rani Dutta Arya Vidyalaya on voting for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The film was broadcast by two local cable TV channels before the Election Day in Delhi.

Tarun Vij, country head, AIF, said, "It is so amazing that young children are expressing their thoughts, concerns and lives in such a creative way. We need more such expression and creativity to make our society responsive to the need for progress and change."

J. Sundarakrishnan, director of the Digital Equalizer program with AIF, said, "The AYV initiative has allowed students to interact with their environment, collect information, model ideas and articulate their understanding through the use of computers and digital tools. We are very excited about using the true power of the computer to give a voice to students, as well as help them collaborate, and construct a deep conceptual understanding of the world around them."

Adobe Youth Voices empowers youth from underserved communities with digital media skills so they can comment on their world, share their ideas and take action on issues that are important to them. By harnessing the energy and insight of young people 13-18 years old, Adobe Youth Voices aims to inspire a dialog for change in their communities.