Page 48 - EducationWorld March 2022

People

Co-curricular education evangelist tance in academics-focused Indian
education. Therefore, we established
our neighbourhood learning hubs
which students could visit after-
school hours to learn a variety of
co-curricular subjects of their choice.
However, with the outbreak of the
deadly Coronavirus pandemic in
March 2020 and children confined
to learning from home, we went on-
line contracting with schools to en-
able their students to continue their
co-curricular education dispensed by
skilled professionals from around the
world. Students with similar inter-
ests are grouped together into online
Openhouse Clubs with membership
not exceeding 20 students per club.
Every three months, Openhouse
organises a performance or competi-
tion to enable students to showcase
their talents,” says Poddar. Annual
subscription Rs.15,000 via schools.
Poddar (right) & Akshay Rampuria: insufficient importance Future plans. Encouraged by the
enthusiastic response to Openhouse
ASHOVARDHAN PODDAR is schools to enable their students to programmes, Poddar has drawn
the Bengaluru-based co- access high-quality life skills and up an ambitious blueprint for the
Yfounder of edtech start-up co-curricular education offered by future. “We are all set to increase
Openhouse Technologies Pvt. Ltd carefully chosen faculty from around the number of learning hubs in
(estb.2018, head count: 100) that the world. Bengaluru to eight. By the end of
offers K-12 children a rich menu History. While he was a student at this year, we intend to establish 50
of curated after-school learning the top-ranked Stanford University, bricks-n-mortar learning hubs in
programmes including academic USA, Poddar acquired valuable the major metros for which we have
support, public speaking, theatre, experience of the Indian marketplace raised adequate funding. Moreover,
dance, entrepreneurship, community during a four-month stint in the we intend to sign up a minimum 100
service, chess, robotics, data science, economics wing of the PMO (prime schools across the country to enable
and music. minister’s office) in India, providing their students to access our online
Initially based in Kolkata, in 2020 economic policy formulation inputs. clubs. There’s rising interest within
Openhouse moved its head office to This was succeeded by a three-month young students in life skills and co-
Bengaluru where it has established internship at Reliance Jio. curricular activities. So the future of
six well-furbished 5,000-6,000 sq. After he was awarded a Masters Openhouse is bright,” says Poddar.
ft learning centres with modern in economics and public policy by Right on!
infrastructure, art studios, dance and Stanford in 2016, Poddar began his Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru)
music rooms and maker spaces. Pri- career in the mobile caller ID startup
mary and secondary school children Truecaller Inc, USA. A year later, he Communication
can enrol as members (Rs.36,000 returned to India and together with
per year) and receive high quality co- Akshay Rampuria, a fellow student
curricular education of their choice at Stanford, promoted Openhouse skills educator
after school hours. in Kolkata with an initial investment
Newspeg. During the pandemic of Rs.70 lakh from their personal widely acknowledged master
of articulation, DR. RAKESH
the company launched Openhouse Direct talk. “Openhouse began with a A
savings.
Clubs, under which the same menu GODHWANI is the Bengaluru-
of co-curricular activities is offered vision to reimagine vitally important based founder-CEO of the School
to partner schools online. In this life skills and co-curricular education of Meaningful Experiences (SoME,
venture, the company contracts with which is not given enough impor- estb.2018, head count: 22), an

48 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2022