Since 2002, The Dariu Foundation has worked to ensure that children and young people in rural Vietnam have the same educational opportunities as their peers in the cities—the foundation for shaping their own future. Our early work focused on building schools and kindergartens, providing scholarships and offering microloans. In 2011, we launched Mobile School, bringing computer literacy to rural students. In 2017, we added coding and renamed the programme the Digital Literacy Initiative (DLI).
In 2025, we began a new chapter, shifting our programme focus towards AI and future skills for teachers and students. Through a master trainer model, we trained 30,000 teachers in AI skills in just four months, with women accounting for 68% of participants. That year, we worked with 150 partner schools across Quang Tri, Da Nang, Vinh Long, Can Tho and An Giang. Our programmes reached nearly 390,000 students, 56% of them girls, while 150 Dariu Tech Clubs involved 2,220 students who developed 146 prototypes and products addressing real-world challenges.
These students’ achievements also gained international recognition. In 2025, students from Quang Tri Town High School developed an autonomous wheelchair designed to support mobility and communication for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The project received a Fourth Award in the Robotics and Intelligent Machines category at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the United States.
2026 marks a major step in taking this work to scale. With a target of training 100,000 teachers during the year, we are expanding from our initial AI training programme towards broader integration into everyday school practice. Working with education authorities and master trainers, we help teachers develop the skills to use AI responsibly in lesson preparation, teaching and assessment, while supporting schools in bringing AI education to their students.
During 2027–2029, we aim to train 370,000 teachers. Over the three-year period, local teachers are expected to deliver AI education directly to primary and secondary students, accounting for approximately 6 million student-years. Around 1.35 million preschool child-years are also expected to benefit indirectly as teachers apply AI to improve teaching and learning. These cumulative figures count each child once for each year of participation.
Alongside teacher training, we aim to expand the network to 450 Dariu Tech Clubs by 2029, involving 22,500 students annually by that year. Across 2027–2029, the clubs are expected to record 52,500 student participations and develop 5,750 projects, giving young people practical opportunities to apply AI, build future skills and solve problems in their communities.
