Zone24x7-STEMUP Educational Foundation empower local students with AI insights

From left: STEMUp Educational Foundation Head of Volunteers Enrico Lisk, STEMUp Educational Foundation Founder Prabhath Mannapperuma, Zone24x7 General Manager Vipula Liyanaarachchi, Zone24x7 CEO Neschae Fernando and Zone24x7 Head of Software Engineering Dhaminda Siriwardena

Zone24x7, a leading provider of end-to-end technology consulting and engineering solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership with STEMUP Educational Foundation to help drive knowledge about cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and many others among Sri Lankan students through the groundbreaking programme ‘AI for Kids’.

AI is rapidly advancing and becoming increasingly integrated into various industries across the globe. Introducing children early to AI education ensures they are prepared for the technology-driven future and have the skills required for upcoming careers. ‘AI for Kids’ is a long-term programme by Zone24x7 and STEMUP to educate children about the fascinating world of AI and is designed to equip teachers/educators, schoolchildren and STEMUP volunteers with the necessary knowledge and understanding of the field of AI. The programme will eventually help children grow up with these new technologies and provide them with the best platform to succeed in domains related to them as they embark on their careers in the future.
AI education offers children numerous benefits and opportunities for their learning and development. It encourages them to think critically, analyse information and solve problems. It promotes computational thinking, which involves approaching problems in a structured and algorithmic way. They are able to gain a deeper understanding of how AI systems work, including their capabilities and limitations.

It also enables them to explore their creativity and innovate by using AI tools and techniques. Teaching children about AI ethics and responsible AI use fosters a sense of responsibility and awareness regarding the potential social impact of AI technologies into the future. They are exposed early to a wide range of AI applications, from robotics and automation to natural language processing and computer vision. It often involves collaborative projects, encouraging children to work together, share ideas and communicate effectively.
AI for Kids has been created for schoolchildren aged 11-13 and 14-18 as well as for university students. It offers a localised curriculum for Sri Lankan students based on experience with AI (Google DeepMind, Raspberry PI Foundation) and Microsoft for Education Resources. Zone24x7, with the support of volunteer university students, will drive the localisation of AI programmes. 

The two organisations are making plans to target 1,000 ICT teachers across the country and will therefore be conducting exclusive training programmes for them. University students will help to onboard volunteers and partners to help with internships and mentoring. These individuals will undergo specialised training on how to deliver content to children in an impactful manner. 
Zone24x7 experts will ensure that this volunteer enablement programme will be scalable based on the overall requirements and growth of the programme in the future. All students who successfully complete the training programme will be provided certificates and guidance on how to progress further in the field. A hackathon event, encouraging the use of AI, that brings together a large number of students under one roof, is to be organised in the future.

Pioneered in 2004 and headquartered in San Jose California, Zone24x7 Private Limited was established in Colombo as an advanced technology centre that offers highly skilled engineering specialists and technology services. With its vision to enhance the emotional experience of everyone, Zone24x7 continues to inspire and innovate, creating a better future for all. The company has over 200 associates with a wide array of expertise employed globally, specialising in offering a multitude of technology consulting and engineering services, including enterprise software applications, RFID solutions, data science engineering, embedded systems engineering, remote monitoring and internet of things, machine learning, cognitive vision analytics, robotics and innovation services with technology proof of concept development.