Lack of quality education is a serious problem in India as there are limited resources to aid access to education. TikTok has emerged as one of the strongest voices in the present times that support the cause of education in India. In October 2019, TikTok launched the #EduTok Program which is a multi-phased integrated initiative with the objective of democratising learning for the Indian digital community on the platform. This is the first-of-its-kind initiative launched by TikTok in the markets where it operates. 

TikTok wants its users to make use of the platform to learn and gain knowledge. The goal of the #EduTok program is to empower the TikTok users, so they create meaningful and relevant content on a variety of topics including the theme of education. Since its launch, the #EduTok program has been immensely successful.  To date, #EduTok has over 52 billion views on the app and continues to be a huge crowd-puller.

Several edu-tech companies including Toppr and Grade Up have joined TikTok recognizing the potential to deliver subject-focused content for users of the platform, giving TikTok users a great opportunity to benefit from the educational content available on the platform. The content will be made available in various formats, across categories and languages to draw the maximum number of audience.

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Mentoring the users is also a part of the #EduTok initiative. In order to further this cause, TikTok has collaborated with leading social enterprises such as Josh Talks and The/Nudge Foundation to launch a mentorship program. The programmes aim to guide first-time internet users so that they can get access to high-quality educational content created by various TikTok creators and other educational organizations. Under the aegis of this mentorship program, Josh Talks will organize 25 #EduTok workshops over six months starting from October 2019 until March 2020.

Around 5,000 creative individuals will be shortlisted. The participants of the workshop will receive hands-on training that will be delivered by existing and popular #EduTok creators from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bhopal, and Amritsar. Similarly, The/Nudge Foundation will create tailor-made content for the participants. The content created will cover important themes like Soft Skills, Skill Development, Identity Building, Job Readiness, and Career Planning.

These workshops will be organized across five states including Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Jharkhand and the union territory of Jammu. Up to 200 TikTok users will attend each workshop. The workshops will be conducted in the vernacular language by the TikTok creators who have engaged their audience through interesting content on motivation, language skills, health, and fitness.

Launch of the #EduTok program has been instrumental in bridging the gap between demand for quality education and lack of affordable educational programs. Given the proliferation of the internet, digital education is a powerful tool that can provide a fulfilling learning experience to the Indian youth and empower them for a better future. The educational videos and mentorship program are strengthening a creative economy in the country by bridging the skills gap.

The initiative has empowered people from smaller towns and cities who do not have access to quality education.  For example, youth residing in these towns can improve their spoken English by tuning into the videos of popular content creators of TikTok who teach English in a simplified manner. It can be said without a doubt that the #EduTok campaign has been successful in increasing access to learning for a large section of society.