Empowering Rural Communities: Cadence Volunteers and BCI Staff Create Lasting Impact through Technology and Collaboration
For the past six consecutive years, Cadence has collaborated with Team4Tech to extend advanced tools and technologies to communities worldwide. Through this ongoing partnership, Cadence employees and Team4Tech have united with a selected nonprofit organization on a three-month philanthropic venture aimed at enhancing communities' well-being through technology. The Spring 2023 project received an overwhelming response, with over 100 applicants. Ultimately, ten Cadence employees were chosen for a volunteer assignment in India, hailing from various Cadence sites across the globe, such as Brazil, Germany, India, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Notably, this marked the first time in six years that Cadence partnered with an organization based in a country where they operate, offering an exceptional opportunity for Indian employees to create a positive impact in their local communities.
Cadence's dedicated volunteers teamed up with Barefoot College International (BCI), an Indian nonprofit that empowers rural communities, especially women and girls, with educational resources, enabling self-reliance. With a presence in over 90 countries, Cadence volunteers undertook a project in BCI's home nation, focusing on innovative educational solutions to improve learning outcomes for thousands of children and reintegrate individuals who left school prematurely into formal education. The entire project, which involved a 10-day onsite trip to two of BCI's sites in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, spanned 12 weeks.
To achieve their goal of enhancing educational solutions with technology and expertise, the Cadence volunteers formed three sub-teams. Each team had a specific task related to enhancing BCI's Digital Community Schools system. Two teams collaborated with BCI staff to integrate cutting-edge technology into the Digital Community School curriculum and reimagine the BCI EduBox solution. The EduBox is a unique set of tools, including a solar-powered projector and tablets, designed to create an offline digital hub for education. The third team worked on streamlining BCI's educational content creation process by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, significantly reducing the time required for content development. Throughout the project, Cadence volunteers dedicated a total of over 1,250 hours of work, equivalent to a pro bono consulting value of $262,000 (USD), while collaborating closely with BCI staff.
During the project, Cadence volunteers worked hand in hand with BCI staff to make a positive difference in the lives of women and children residing in rural areas. Embodying Cadence's culture of thoughtful collaboration, the employee volunteers seamlessly integrated with the staff and community members. Monalisa Padhee, BCI's Program Head of Wellness and Education Initiatives, shared her experience working with Cadence volunteers, highlighting how their feedback was not only taken into account but also contextualized, exemplifying true collaboration.
The impact of Cadence volunteers and BCI staff's efforts will extend to approximately 3,000 students and community members this year, with an estimated positive influence on around 50,000 individuals over the next five years.
Beyond the positive impact on the served community, the project also served as a valuable leadership opportunity for the Cadence volunteers. Radhika Chawla, one of the volunteers, expressed the significance of volunteering, emphasizing how it broadens perspectives and opens one's eyes to different ways of viewing the world. Through their unwavering commitment to Cadence's One Team culture, the volunteers effectively utilized their professional expertise and technological knowledge to create lasting change for communities in need, collaborating closely with nonprofit partners like BCI.
The following are some of the feedbacks from project’s participants:
“That was the kind of mission I love—a mission with goals that are done in a unique way. Gathering 10 people from different countries who didn’t know one another in rural area with a sparkle in their eyes and a goal to make education better, expanding the span of knowledge to those in need.” – Tuval Biran, Sr. Account Executive,
“The amalgamation of witnessing diverse cultures and the tech exposure received by developing VR Games for their courses made this an enriching experience. Seeing the team's passion showed us how fast people can adapt and grow with the right opportunities and support.” – Radhika Chawla, Software Engineer II,
“After coming back from volunteering in India, I have been left with an ever-lasting enthusiasm to continue on this path. Equally, this has been a fantastic experience to meet new people and engage with different communities. My hope is to continue to form a long-lasting partnership with Team4Tech and Barefoot Collage International[.]” – Lucy Down, Technical Communications Manager,
“Our time in India has really reinforced my deep commitment to make a positive impact on the world through my work—a commitment I made several years ago. The journey with BCI has just begun, and we are eager to be a small part of creating a world where educational opportunities are abundant and accessible for all, while fostering leadership growth within our own team.” – Amy Migliori, Scientific Partnership Business Development,
“This experience with Cadence and BCI has reaffirmed my belief in the potential of technology to revolutionize education and create opportunities for learners around the world. It has ignited a passion within me to continue exploring innovative ways to merge technology and education, making a lasting impact on the lives of individuals and communities.” – Renan Moreira, Software Engineer I.
“This program gave me opportunity to meet new people, learn about different cultures and work with a diverse team that has unique skills and different perspectives…I got [the] chance to really connect and spend time with the community and seeing first-hand how our small actions can make a difference in someone's life.” – Minu Sachdeva, Sr. Principal Program Manager.
“The dedicated teachers and staff at both Barefoot College International and Team4Tech showed us how we could have a meaningful impact on students that will affect their lives positively as well as their families for generations to come.“ – Linda Smyth, Principal Program Manager.
“It was amazing to see so many people from different backgrounds and cultures coming together to work towards such an important cause… I hope the partnership between #Cadence and #Team4Tech continue to bring benefits to other institutions and communities around the world.” – Luiza Trindade, Software Engineer.
To know more about BCI’s work across the globe click here.
Cadence's dedicated volunteers teamed up with Barefoot College International (BCI), an Indian nonprofit that empowers rural communities, especially women and girls, with educational resources, enabling self-reliance. With a presence in over 90 countries, Cadence volunteers undertook a project in BCI's home nation, focusing on innovative educational solutions to improve learning outcomes for thousands of children and reintegrate individuals who left school prematurely into formal education. The entire project, which involved a 10-day onsite trip to two of BCI's sites in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, spanned 12 weeks.
To achieve their goal of enhancing educational solutions with technology and expertise, the Cadence volunteers formed three sub-teams. Each team had a specific task related to enhancing BCI's Digital Community Schools system. Two teams collaborated with BCI staff to integrate cutting-edge technology into the Digital Community School curriculum and reimagine the BCI EduBox solution. The EduBox is a unique set of tools, including a solar-powered projector and tablets, designed to create an offline digital hub for education. The third team worked on streamlining BCI's educational content creation process by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, significantly reducing the time required for content development. Throughout the project, Cadence volunteers dedicated a total of over 1,250 hours of work, equivalent to a pro bono consulting value of $262,000 (USD), while collaborating closely with BCI staff.
During the project, Cadence volunteers worked hand in hand with BCI staff to make a positive difference in the lives of women and children residing in rural areas. Embodying Cadence's culture of thoughtful collaboration, the employee volunteers seamlessly integrated with the staff and community members. Monalisa Padhee, BCI's Program Head of Wellness and Education Initiatives, shared her experience working with Cadence volunteers, highlighting how their feedback was not only taken into account but also contextualized, exemplifying true collaboration.
The impact of Cadence volunteers and BCI staff's efforts will extend to approximately 3,000 students and community members this year, with an estimated positive influence on around 50,000 individuals over the next five years.
Beyond the positive impact on the served community, the project also served as a valuable leadership opportunity for the Cadence volunteers. Radhika Chawla, one of the volunteers, expressed the significance of volunteering, emphasizing how it broadens perspectives and opens one's eyes to different ways of viewing the world. Through their unwavering commitment to Cadence's One Team culture, the volunteers effectively utilized their professional expertise and technological knowledge to create lasting change for communities in need, collaborating closely with nonprofit partners like BCI.
The following are some of the feedbacks from project’s participants:
“That was the kind of mission I love—a mission with goals that are done in a unique way. Gathering 10 people from different countries who didn’t know one another in rural area with a sparkle in their eyes and a goal to make education better, expanding the span of knowledge to those in need.” – Tuval Biran, Sr. Account Executive,
“The amalgamation of witnessing diverse cultures and the tech exposure received by developing VR Games for their courses made this an enriching experience. Seeing the team's passion showed us how fast people can adapt and grow with the right opportunities and support.” – Radhika Chawla, Software Engineer II,
“After coming back from volunteering in India, I have been left with an ever-lasting enthusiasm to continue on this path. Equally, this has been a fantastic experience to meet new people and engage with different communities. My hope is to continue to form a long-lasting partnership with Team4Tech and Barefoot Collage International[.]” – Lucy Down, Technical Communications Manager,
“Our time in India has really reinforced my deep commitment to make a positive impact on the world through my work—a commitment I made several years ago. The journey with BCI has just begun, and we are eager to be a small part of creating a world where educational opportunities are abundant and accessible for all, while fostering leadership growth within our own team.” – Amy Migliori, Scientific Partnership Business Development,
“This experience with Cadence and BCI has reaffirmed my belief in the potential of technology to revolutionize education and create opportunities for learners around the world. It has ignited a passion within me to continue exploring innovative ways to merge technology and education, making a lasting impact on the lives of individuals and communities.” – Renan Moreira, Software Engineer I.
“This program gave me opportunity to meet new people, learn about different cultures and work with a diverse team that has unique skills and different perspectives…I got [the] chance to really connect and spend time with the community and seeing first-hand how our small actions can make a difference in someone's life.” – Minu Sachdeva, Sr. Principal Program Manager.
“The dedicated teachers and staff at both Barefoot College International and Team4Tech showed us how we could have a meaningful impact on students that will affect their lives positively as well as their families for generations to come.“ – Linda Smyth, Principal Program Manager.
“It was amazing to see so many people from different backgrounds and cultures coming together to work towards such an important cause… I hope the partnership between #Cadence and #Team4Tech continue to bring benefits to other institutions and communities around the world.” – Luiza Trindade, Software Engineer.
To know more about BCI’s work across the globe click here.
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