BIC’s Global Education Week Celebrates Exceptional Educators from Around the World

BIC, world leading Stationery brand and parent company of Cello writing, announced the winners of its ‘BIC Cristal Pen Awards 2020’. Recognized among 10 impactful educators around the world, DilipsinhVihol from the Mahadevapura Primary School in Bengaluru was selected as the winner from India for his exceptional contribution towards his students and for being a beacon of hope and optimism in an academically exigent year.

Globally, the education system has been witnessing a sea-change due to the altering socio-economic landscape triggered by the ongoing pandemic. Through this, teachers have been the crucial connector between students and their schools, going beyond their call of duty to ensure their students continue to find joy in the new methods of learning. In an effort to recognize and honor the valuable contributions of teachers during these unprecedented times, BICintroduced the first edition of its BIC Cristal Pen Awards.Launched in conjunction with the company’s Global Education Week initiative, the award aims to celebrate exceptional educators around the world who inspire and bring joy to children every day while equipping them towards a more empowered future. The nominations of the educators came from BIC employees from around the world and the 10 winners came fromthe US, Australia, India, Uganda, Ethiopia, Brazil, Greece and Turkey.

DilipsinhViholhas been instrumental in blending education and technology and keeping students motivated and engaged during lockdown periods. His teaching methodology is unique andgoeswell beyond the simple textbook theory, combining innovative pedagogy to ensure a more culturally responsive curriculum for his students.  Dilipsinh’s humble background did not deter him from utilizing financial resources from the state and the government forimproving teaching infrastructure for his students. The BIC Cristal Awardsprize includes a grant of €5,000 (INR 4.45 lakhs approx.)and a Cello Stationery product donation towards his school in addition toa custom-designed trophy from Tiffany’s &Co that will be presented for Dilipsinh’sachievements.

Commenting on the new award, Manos Nikolakis, General Manager, BIC Cellosaid, “To invest in our future, we must invest in our children. This is a core tenet to BIC and BIC Cello’s philosophy of improving lives through education. As a company, our vision is to improve learning conditions for 250 million children worldwide by 2025. The BIC Cristal Pen Awards was conceptualized in essence to not just help students, but to also celebrate devoted educators whose resilience, expertise, and contribution in their field often goes unnoticed. For educators, the pandemic has been both an adaptive and transformative experience which had no organized playbook. This award is a recognition of their adaptability in the face of the unforeseen education challenge and protecting their student’s learning opportunities. We would like to congratulate Mr. Vihol for his exceptional contribution towards his school and his students and hope this grant can help him along in his mission towards improving more young lives.”

Award-recipient DilipsinhVihol added, “It is indeed an honor for me to be selected as the BIC Cristal Award top educator for India. This award instils hope in my core belief that educators can play a pivotal role in shaping future leaders by helping them develop essential life skills. This year has been tough on the education system but I am happy to have been able to contribute my bit to successfully navigate challenges to ensure that learning and development of my students could continue unabated.  I express my gratitude to BIC for celebrating educators around the world and for encouraging our community to do better every day. I do hope that we all view this crisis as an opportunity to improve and accelerate and work harder to make our education system strongerand more equitable.”

BIC has long been an advocate for improving lives through education and is committed to enhancing the learning conditions for 250 million children globally by 2025. The Group aims to help children succeed in their education by providing improved learning conditions and in-school infrastructure. In support of this mission and given the constraints on in-person volunteering due to COVID-19, BIC created the BIC Cristal Pen Awards program as part of its annual Global Education Week. Whether classes are virtual, in-person or both, the awards aim to acknowledge the extraordinary work done by 10 educators globally through an open nomination programme for BIC team members.

ABOUT BIC

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as Cello®, Conté®, BIC FlexTM, Lucky Stationery, Made For YOUTM, Soleil®, Tipp-Ex®, Wite-Out® and more. In 2019,BIC Net Sales were 1,949.4 million euros. The Company is listed on “Euronext Paris,” is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP.