ISLAMABAD: Jazz in collaboration with Google and Tech Valley, a social enterprise, celebrated the success of their flagship initiative, Digital Safar.
Launched in 2023, Digital Safar equips young minds in Pakistan with essential digital skills and online safety education through Google’s Be Internet Awesome and CS First programmes.
An event was held in Islamabad to celebrate the programme’s success and outline its future goals. The occasion was attended by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training, as the chief guest. Among other attendees included Major General Hafeezur Rehman (retd), Chairman PTA, Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of Jazz; Kyle Gardner, Government Affairs and Public Policy Lead for Google South Asia; Umar Farooq, CEO of Tech Valley; and the minister of the School Education Department, Punjab.
Digital Safar has already empowered over 100,000 students, aged between 9 to 14 years old, and trained more than 1,000 teachers. By 2025, the programme aims to reach an additional 200,000 students and train 2,000 master trainers from public and private schools across Pakistan including Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan. This success underscores the power of collaboration in preparing young people for a brighter digital future. By equipping them with essential skills and promoting responsible digital citizenship, the program significantly contributes to narrowing Pakistan’s digital skills gap.
Expressing optimism about Digital Safar, Aamir Ibrahim, CEO Jazz, said, “We are committed to bridging the digital divide and ensuring online safety in Pakistan. By providing free internet access and devices, we ensure that every student can benefit from Digital Safar’s resources and acquire quality digital education. This initiative is a testament to our commitment to fostering digital literacy and skills among our youth and supporting the vision of Digital Pakistan.”
Umar Farooq, CEO of Tech Valley, stated, “Our goal is to create a digitally literate Pakistan where students evolve from mere consumers of technology to innovative creators. The success of Digital Safar exemplifies the profound impact that strategic collaborations can have in realizing this vision. By working together, we are fostering a new generation equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the digital era.”
Also sharing thoughts on the occasion, Farhan S Qureshi, Country Director, Google Pakistan said, Digital Safar exemplifies Google’s commitment to empowering young people with the digital skills they need to succeed. By collaborating with dedicated partners like Tech Valley and Jazz, we’re not only fostering digital literacy and online safety but also nurturing a generation of critical thinkers and problem solvers. Google is incredibly proud to be part of this initiative, and we look forward to witnessing the continued impact of Digital Safar as it reaches even more students and teachers across Pakistan.”
Digital literacy is crucial for Pakistan’s youth amid the rapid rise in internet usage. The Digital Safar programme meets this demand by integrating Google’s “Be Internet Awesome,” which emphasizes responsible online conduct, and “Google CS First,” introducing foundational coding skills. Its comprehensive curriculum spans coding, computational thinking, digital citizenship, and online safety, tailored to diverse educational settings in Pakistan. The program further enhances accessibility with self-paced Urdu learning videos, enabling teachers to overcome language barriers and accommodate varying schedules.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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