Jaaga Wins Reclaim Open Learning Innovation Challenge

Jaaga has a vision. A vision of democratizing education. A vision of a world where every motivated student could learn the skills they need for the career they want using world class educational resources.  With amazing increasing accessibility to courses at the world’s top universities, the potential is awesome in the most literal sense of the word. And Jaaga, as an innovative community-centred and collaboration focused living sculpture, is the perfect setting for this grand vision of democratic learning to come to fruition. Jaaga, with it’s connections to the technology, start up and design communities is the perfect melting pot of innovation, resources and know-how to make this dream a reality.

That vision, being realized this January in the Jaaga Study program, has been officially recognized this past week by the ‘Reclaim Open Learning Innovation’ Challenge, which picked Jaaga Study as one of five winners worldwide and the only winner representing India. The Innovation Challenge, run by the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub at UC Irvine and the MIT Media Lab, supported by the MacArthur Foundation, seeks to identify programs which support increasing open access to education, especially through the innovative use of technologies.

This week, Freeman Murray, Founder – Director at Jaaga, will be presenting Jaaga Study at the Reclaim Open Learning Symposium held in California at UC Irvine, telling the world about the new model. The conference is being live streamed here: http://dmlhub.net/reclaim-open-learning-symposium.

The Jaaga Study program, to be rolled out in January 2014, is an intensive one-year program designed to create effective, financially independent computer programmers. The program leverages MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courseware) and supplements the online courseware with a vibrant co-working space and a support framework that includes course selection guidance, interaction with technical experts, and active peer learning groups.

During the program students also establish personal profiles on Internet job boards and spend a portion of their time each week executing paid work online. This provides students with real world context for the concepts they learn in online courses, and helps students develop a portfolio of work to present to potential employers. The flexible and individualized nature of the program allows students to tailor curriculum to their skill level and employment goals. The program will position graduates to obtain jobs in the technology industry and create the next generation of web and mobile applications.

Jaaga believes that every person should have access to the education they need to achieve their goals. This new innovative model aims to create real change and real opportunities for aspiring programmers here in Bangalore. Jaaga Study provides an ideal platform for young motivated learners to be a part of the ever expanding tech scene.

If you are interested in applying, please check out jaaga.in/study for more information. Applications are open now! If you have more questions about the program please contact:

Akshay Kanthi(+919019759255)

Program Coordinator,Jaaga Study

akshay@jaaga.in