Archive · 8 Nov 2025
Sikkim School Becomes Smart Model School on its 75th Anniversary
Imagine a school in a small village in Sikkim that just turned 75 years old!
To celebrate, it got a super cool upgrade to become a "Smart Model School."
This means it now has a special classroom powered by the sun, like a giant solar panel on the roof.
Inside, there's a big, interactive screen like a giant tablet where teachers can show fun videos and lessons.
They also got fast internet and lots of digital learning materials to help students learn better.
This project was done by a group called Art of Living, which wants to help rural kids get the same good education as city kids.
They've also added things like science labs to make learning even more exciting and teach kids important life skills.
It's all about making sure every child, no matter where they live, gets a chance to learn and dream big.
The Government Senior Secondary School in Bariakhop, Sikkim, has been transformed into a Solar Smart Model School on its 75th anniversary.
The initiative was led by The Art of Living's Sri Sri Rural Development Programme Trust (AOL-SSRDP) in partnership with Schneider Electric India Foundation.
The Smart School features a 2.2 kWp solar-powered classroom, a 65" Smart Interactive Board, and digital learning content.
This program aims to bridge educational divides in rural India by integrating technology and sustainable energy.
AOL-SSRDP has so far empowered 79 schools in Sikkim and a total of 473 government schools across 10 Indian states.
- Who
- The Art of Living's Sri Sri Rural Development Programme Trust (AOL-SSRDP) in collaboration with Schneider Electric India Foundation
- What
- Transformed the Government Senior Secondary School, Bariakhop, into a Solar Smart Model School
- When
- On the school's 75th anniversary, celebrated on November 8
- Where
- Bariakhop, Sikkim, India
- Why
- To bridge the educational and digital divide through renewable energy, technology-driven learning, and holistic development
- School Name
- Government Senior Secondary School, Bariakhop
- Initiative
- Smart Model School Program
- Partners
- The Art of Living's Sri Sri Rural Development Programme Trust (AOL-SSRDP) and Schneider Electric India Foundation
- Key Features
- 2.2 kWp solar-powered classroom, 65″ Smart Interactive Board, wireless router with data plan, K-12 learning content, STEM Labs, WASH facilities
- Sikkim Impact
- 79 government schools empowered, 20,000+ students and 2,500+ teachers impacted
- National Impact
- 473 government schools in 36 districts across 10 States/UTs, over 1.3 lakh students and teachers reached annually
- Sustainability Benefit
- Each school saves nearly 300 tonnes of CO₂ annually