SCERT Uttarakhand’s AI-Enabled Teacher Training Initiative Recognised Among the World’s Top Six
“Building Future-Ready Teachers through AI and ICT Enabled MOOCs”
Global Top 6 Finalist in the Teacher Training Award Category at AI for Education Awards 2026
Geneva, Switzerland | AI for Good Global Summit 2026
Global Winners Announced
The Global Competition officially concluded in Geneva with the announcement of three Laureates and fifteen Finalists across three major award categories: Teacher Innovation, Student Innovation and Teacher Training. These selected projects represent some of the most responsible, inspiring and human-centred applications of Artificial Intelligence in K–12 education worldwide.
🏆 Teacher Innovation Award: “XD Educational Ecosystem: AI-Powered Personalised Learning for K–12 Montessori Education” from Chile.
🏆 Student Innovation Award: “Intelligent Drainage Monitor” from Malaysia.
🏆 Teacher Training Award: “Kitso Learning Chatbot” from South Africa, developed by Qhakaza Mbali Mthembu and the Digify Africa team.
SCERT Uttarakhand warmly congratulates all the Laureates, Finalists and Official Participants for contributing to the growing global movement for responsible and human-centred AI in education from 47 countries and 38000 projects in tough jury competition.
A Grand Achievement for India and Uttarakhand
The selection of SCERT Uttarakhand’s project among the world’s top teacher training innovations is a landmark achievement for India’s school education system. It reflects the country’s growing strength in digital innovation, teacher capacity building and the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in education.
For Uttarakhand, this recognition is especially significant. It demonstrates how a Himalayan state can build a large-scale, inclusive and technology-enabled professional learning model capable of reaching teachers across difficult geographical regions. The project has brought global visibility to Uttarakhand School Education, SCERT Uttarakhand and the collective commitment of its teachers.
- It places Uttarakhand among globally recognised innovators in teacher professional development.
- It highlights India’s leadership in responsible and scalable AI integration in education.
- It validates the power of MOOCs for statewide capacity building.
- It recognises the collective work of teachers, faculty, technical teams and educational leaders.
- It opens new opportunities for global knowledge sharing and collaboration.
The MOOCs Journey: From Digital Literacy to AI Readiness
The first phase focused on strengthening teachers’ foundational ICT competencies, digital literacy, e-content creation and effective use of technology in classroom teaching.
Building on the first phase, MOOC 2.0 introduced educators to Artificial Intelligence, AI-enabled lesson planning, assessment, productivity tools, digital ethics and school administration. More than 49,000 teachers participated in this large-scale professional development initiative.
The third phase includes specialised learning in AI productivity, AI-assisted lesson planning, multimedia and educational video creation, cybersecurity, coding, educational game development and AI-assisted research writing.
Collective Leadership and Team Contribution
The project was developed under the academic leadership of Smt. Bandana Garbyal, Director, Academic Research and Training, SCERT Uttarakhand, with Shri Ramesh Prasad Badoni, Faculty, IT Department, contributing significantly to the project’s conceptualisation, AI integration, instructional design, course development, implementation and digital capacity building.
This recognition belongs equally to the dedicated MOOCs development team, technical team, instructional designers, multimedia experts, content developers, reviewers, academic coordinators, mentors and support staff who worked continuously to make the initiative effective and scalable.
Contribution of Teachers, SCERT and DIET Faculty
The success of the project was made possible by the enthusiastic participation of teachers from elementary, upper-primary, secondary and senior-secondary schools. Their commitment to continuous learning, feedback and willingness to embrace new technologies transformed the MOOCs into a statewide professional learning movement.
SCERT Uttarakhand also acknowledges the valuable role of faculty members of SCERT Uttarakhand and all 13 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), along with district and block education teams, in course facilitation, academic support, mentoring, monitoring and implementation.
Visionary Government Support
SCERT Uttarakhand expresses its sincere gratitude to Shri Ravinath Raman, IAS, Secretary, School Education, Government of Uttarakhand, for his visionary guidance and continuous support for digital transformation and teacher capacity building.
Special appreciation is extended to Smt. Akanksha Konde, IAS, Director General, School Education, Uttarakhand, whose leadership has consistently encouraged innovation, quality improvement and technology integration across the education system.
Heartfelt thanks are also conveyed to Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat, Hon’ble Minister for School Education, Uttarakhand, for his continuous encouragement for teacher empowerment, digital education and future-oriented reforms.
SCERT Uttarakhand further acknowledges the visionary leadership of Pushkar Singh Dhami,, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, whose commitment to digital governance, innovation and technology-enabled education has created a supportive environment for transformative educational initiatives in the state.
The institution also expresses its gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose national vision through Digital India, the National Education Policy 2020 and the growing emphasis on Artificial Intelligence has inspired institutions across the country to prepare future-ready citizens.
Technical Support from Vidya Samiksha Kendra
The successful implementation of the initiative was further strengthened by the invaluable technical support of Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), Uttarakhand. Through the innovative e-Srijan Bot, teachers received timely notifications, registration assistance, course guidance, progress tracking and prompt technical support, ensuring a smooth and user-friendly learning experience. The digital infrastructure, real-time monitoring, analytics and dedicated technical expertise of the VSK team played a vital role in reaching thousands of teachers across the state.
National Academic and Technical Collaboration
SCERT Uttarakhand gratefully acknowledges the continuous academic and technical support received from CIET–NCERT, NCERT and their dedicated teams. Their guidance in digital education, e-content development, teacher training, platform readiness and technology integration has significantly strengthened the state’s professional development initiatives.
The Journey Continues
The conclusion of the competition marks the beginning of a new chapter. From 1 September 2026, the AI for Education Awards Empowerment Programme will provide a global platform through masterclasses and an e-book, enabling Laureates, Finalists and selected Official Participants to share their best practices with educators around the world.
As a Global Finalist, SCERT Uttarakhand’s AI and ICT-enabled MOOCs initiative will continue contributing to international dialogue on responsible, inclusive and human-centred Artificial Intelligence in education.
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