Rural Educator Uses MIT Skills to Build Apps for Students Who Cannot Attend School

September 16, 2026 - 20:59

An educator based in rural India is using skills he picked up through MIT Open Learning to create mobile applications that help students who are unable to attend school in person. Mohammad Imran Khan Mewati, who works in a region where access to classrooms and qualified teachers remains a daily challenge, decided to turn to technology as a way to close the gap.

His journey began with free online courses that gave him a foundation in programming and app development. What he learned, he applied directly to the needs of his own community. Instead of waiting for better infrastructure or more staff, he started building tools that students could use on their own, often on low cost phones and with limited internet access.

The apps he developed cover core subjects and allow learners to study at their own pace. For many families in the area, sending a child to a distant school is not possible because of cost, distance, or the need for children to help at home. Mewati's work offers an alternative that fits into their daily lives.

He describes technology as a force that can level the field, giving students in remote villages the same chance to learn as those in cities. His effort shows how one person with the right training and a clear purpose can reach learners who would otherwise be left out.