Educational inequity is as real as a problem in US as it may be in any third-world nation. While non-profits like Wendy Kopp's Teach For America exist to bridge the gap, a broader community involvement is needed for the children in US to compete with their Chinese and Indian counterparts.

As a small step towards achieving this vision of educational equity, University of Massachusetts Boston has entered into an agreement with Multinational IT Company Wipro to offer a 12-month fellowship to school teachers in US. The announcement was made Wednesday.

With the launch of the fellowship program, 120 school teachers will be trained over a period of three years with the objective of providing 'excellent science education' to students from disadvantaged areas of Boston and New York.

This fellowship aims to develop competencies and strengthen their leadership skills so that they can take up the role of change agents in their respective schools and districts after the completion of fellowship.

"The US is the cradle of innovation. This program is part of Wipro's efforts to align with the US' goal to create an environment that stimulates and nurtures scientific curiosity and innovative spirit among young people", said T.K. Kurien, Chief Executive Officer of IT business and Executive Director, Wipro Ltd.

Wipro, an India-based multinational provider of Information technology services, consulting and outsourcing services, has had earlier experience in such educational ventures. Through initiatives such as Wipro Applying Thought In Schools (WATIS), Quality of Education Survey and Mission 10x, Wipro has already tested the waters. And the positive feedback from its native country may have triggered its decision to offer a hand at educating US children.

The program will entirely be funded by Wipro. Through a rigorous selective process, it aims to identify 40 K-12 science teachers each year in Boston and New York areas.

Selected teachers will undergo 250 hours of intense capability development training by a team led by Arthur Eisenkraft, Professor of Science Education and Director of the 'Centre of Science and Math in Context' (COSMIC) at UMass Boston.

The statement issued by university says it will partner with a NYC university and surrounding school districts to administer the program.

UMass Boston Chancellor, J. Keith Motley expressed his gratitude to Wipro for its investment in the education and futures of students.

He also added: "Effective, engaging STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) education is crucial to students' success; we are delighted to play a role in providing Boston's teachers with new skills for imparting mastery in these fields."

The nomination process for the fellowship will begin in January 2013 and the selection process for the first year is due to be completed by March 2013. The course is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2013.