A report on the impact of prizes won by students in the ACE Impressions.
ACE Winners Turn Prizes into Progress – Batch 1 & 2
Asha Computer Education (ACE) is the flagship initiative by Asha, to bring computer literacy to government school classrooms. In October 2023, ACE took a major leap forward by training 52 government teachers in Thiruvallur district to deliver Asha’s one-year computer science curriculum across 52 schools. Over several months, teachers underwent intensive, hands-on training to master the curriculum. As they learned, they simultaneously began teaching students in their schools, supported consistently by Asha’s expert computer science educators.
ACE Impressions – Batch 1
As per the program design, the students spend the last leg of the course in creating a project. We received 373 project submissions from 50 government schools. Out of the 373 projects, 17 projects were selected to be showcased before external judges for Asha’s first ACE Impressions which was held at Amazon’s office in the World Trade Centre, Perungudi.
The students showcased an outstanding array of topics that captivated and delighted the judges. You can read the full report here. Out of 17 participating teams, three emerged victorious, claiming a combined prize money of ₹4,20,000!
1st place – GHS Murukkampattu, winning prize money of INR 1,80,000
2nd place – PUMS Nallatur, winning prize money of INR 1,40,000
3rd place – GHS Athimancheripet, winning prize money of INR 1,00,000
-
The funds were allocated to schools with the intent of setting up computer labs or addressing other urgent infrastructural needs.
At GHS Murukampattu, although we initially proposed establishing a computer lab, the school requested that the funds be directed toward renovating their toilets. We honored their request and undertook the toilet renovation project.
PUMS Nallatur highlighted their need for tablets for students, along with tables and chairs. Accordingly, we provided the required devices and furniture.
GHS Athimancheripet, which already houses a hi-tech lab, sought support for its renovation. At their request, the prize money was channeled into upgrading the facility.
To avoid disrupting classes, the renovation work at GHS Murukampattu and GHS Atimencheripet was carried out during the summer break. The tablets and furniture for PUMS Nallatur were delivered after schools reopened in June 2025.
1st Prize Winner – GHS Murukampattu
The Government High School in Murukampattu serves 154 students across classes 6 to 10. The school had toilets in a dismal state, rendering them unusable for the students. The toilets lacked proper plumbing, the roofs and doors were extensively damaged, and the washbasins were broken. Through Asha’s Sugadharam initiative—an ongoing effort to improve sanitation in schools we support—we have renovated several such facilities over the years. Given our experience in executing similar projects, we felt well-prepared and confident to take up the task.
The project began with clearing the area of debris and fallen leaves. The existing dilapidated toilets were removed, and four new units were installed—two in the girls’ restroom and two in the boys’. Though there was an overhead water tank, the plumbing system was extensively damaged. We removed the old pipelines and replaced them with new ones, along with installing new taps in both restrooms.
Since the school lacked handwashing facilities, we added new washbasins. The damaged doors were repaired using welding to fix cracks and structural issues, followed by a fresh coat of paint to enhance their appearance. New roof sheets were installed. The surrounding area also received a complete repaint.
The entire renovation was completed over two weeks at a cost of ₹1,41,760. The remaining funds were utilized to purchase a laptop for the school.
The toilets were inaugurated by Asha Volunteer Mr. Rajaraman in June 2025.
2nd Prize Winner – PUMS Nallatur
Panchayat Union Middle School, Nallatur is in Thiruvallur, Tamilnadu with a student strength of over 80. The school was in need to tables, chairs and tabs for the use of children. We procured 6 units of tables and 24 units of chairs at a cost of INR 36,366. We also purchased 10 units of tabs at a cost of INR 1,05,029 for the students. The furniture and tabs were distributed to the students once the school reopened in June 2025.
3rd Prize Winner – GGHSS Athimanjeripet
Located in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, Government Girls Higher Secondary School Atimanjeripet caters to 164 students. The school’s Hi-tech lab was in need of some sprucing up. The school has just spruced up the main building and they also wanted this lab building to be brought on par with the rest of the school.
To enhance the facility, we installed 4 ceiling fans and 5 LED tube lights, along with providing 10 chairs for student seating. Necessary electrical repairs were also carried out to ensure the lab’s safe and functional operation. Both the interior and exterior of the lab received a fresh coat of paint, giving it a renewed and welcoming look. All the benches and desks in the whole school also received a fresh coat of paint.
The total cost of the renovation work amounted to ₹75,060. The remaining funds were utilized to purchase a desktop computer for the school.
Asha volunteer and Project coordinator, Mr. Rajaraman visited the school in June and spoke to the HM and teachers.
ACE Impressions – Batch 2
Amazon graciously hosted the Impression event once again at their Brigade World Trade Centre office in Perungudi, Chennai, on Saturday, 21 June 2025. Teams from Thiruvallur, Thoothukudi, and Thiruvannamalai took part in the competition, which followed the same format as ACE Batch 1, with 17 teams vying for the top spot. You can read the full report here.
The winning teams of Batch 2 are-
1st Prize – GHSS Melsevalampadi (Villupuram) – INR 1,60,000
2nd Prize – PUMS Singarajapuram (Thiruvallur) – INR 1,30,000
3rd Prize- PUMS Ganalapadi (Thiruvannamalai) – INR 1,00,000
Judges’ Favorite- GGHSS Ettaiyapuram (Thoothukudi) – INR 40,000
The prize money was allocated to schools to improve computer facilities. Since the schools expressed other pressing needs, the money was utilized to fulfil the same-
GHSS Melsevalampadi (Villupuram) – The school required an elevated stage to conduct its events and functions, and requested our support for its construction.
PUMS Singarajapuram (Thiruvallur) -The school already has a computer lab and requested us to help with civil and electrical repairs.
PUMS Ganalapadi (Thiruvannamalai) -The school classroom was in need of tables and benches which were provided.
GGHSS Ettaiyapuram (Thoothukudi) – School was provided with a screen and projector.
1st Prize Winner – GHSS Melsevalampadi (Villupuram)
This is an Upper Primary, Secondary, and Higher Secondary school with nearly 400 students across various grades. While the school already had a functional computer lab, they needed an elevated stage to host events. Our project coordinator in Villupuram facilitated the construction through local masons. The stage, measuring 20 x 20 x 3 feet, was built during the school break to avoid any disruption to regular activities.
2nd Prize Winner – PUMS Singarajapuram (Thiruvallur)
The school, located in Tiruttani in Thiruvallur district, has 79 students enrolled from Grade 1 to 8. The school already had a Hi-tech lab in place, but it required essential repairs to make the space more functional and comfortable.
Previously, the room had only a basic cement floor. To improve the environment, we laid vitrified tiles for a cleaner and more durable surface. We also installed four ceiling fans and four tube lights to ensure proper ventilation and lighting. Additionally, we carried out electrical upgrades, including fixing the piping, replacing old wiring, and installing a new junction box to support safe and efficient power distribution. These improvements have significantly enhanced the usability of the lab for both students and teachers.
3rd Prize Winner – PUMS Ganalapadi (Thiruvannamalai)
PUMS Ganalapadi is a school with over 200 students studying from class 1 to 8. The winning team from Grade 8 requested for new tables and benches to be provided for their classroom. The metal furniture was delivered to the school in August 2025.
Judges’ Choice Winners – GGHSS Ettaiyapuram (Thoothukudi)
The students of GGHSS Ettiyapuram were felicitated at their school, and our Pearl Project coordinator visited to hand over a projector and screen for the school’s use.
