Dhammika Perera launches free online learning platform for kids

To support education excellence among children, business magnate and philanthropist Dhammika Perera and his wife Priscilla Perera have launched another initiative.

The platform,DP Kids, aims to provide free access to pre-school education to a minimum of 264,000 children between the ages of 2 and 7 years old, which amounts to 20% of the 1.32 million children in Sri Lanka.  

The launch of DP Kids represents the latest in a series of initiatives as part of the Foundation’s groundbreaking efforts to leverage platforms like DP Education and DP Digital University to deliver free education and empower a new generation of Sri Lankan school and university students. 

 “A child’s early years are the foundation for his or her future development, providing a strong foundation for lifelong education and learning abilities, including cognitive and social development. Well-established research continues to emphasize the importance of early childhood education as an essential building block of a child’s future success. With this thought we hope that children from different backgrounds in Sri Lanka will be able to access world class resources in a safe and secure online educational environment cost-free,” A spokesperson for Dhammika and Priscilla Perera Foundation said.      

Developed in collaboration with leading education technology innovator Age of Learning, Inc, USA – creator of award winning platforms like ABCmouse.com – DP Kids is built to an international standard and features a curriculum and presentation that is designed by early childhood education experts and professionals who have studied and analysed child psychology and behaviour to craft content that will be especially engaging for kids.
DP Kids has also collaborated with USP Studios, home to over 50 animated characters designed for making learning a fun activity. USP Studios is one of the top three ‘kids video content’ producers worldwide.

Notably, DP Kids has also made a concerted effort to localise its content, utilizing the unique skills of famous and acclaimed Sri Lankan singers, writers, illustrators and animators in order to ensure that lessons are relatable and aligned to Sri Lankan tradition, culture and values. 

Among those who contributed to the DP Kids platform was the beloved doyen of Sri Lankan children’s literature and art, the lateSybil Wettasinghe, whose final work was in contributing traditional songs and illustrations to the platform. 

In order to honour her memory and life-changing legacy, her illustrations were completed by family members while the music she had composed for DP Kids was recorded by artists at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Company (SLBC) and will be made freely available through the platform in the form of two digital songbooks.

DP Kids has also worked closely with leading local animators who provided 7 localised animated characters specially designed for DP Kids and 3D animated videos for nursery rhymes that reflect local cultures and traditions of Sri Lanka. 

A well-known media company was also enlisted for producing art and craft videos specially designed for DP Kids, which will further support kids to improve their cognitive abilities.

For further inquiries or details please visit the official DP Kids website at www.dpkids.lk or email info@dpfoundation.org.lk