New York: An eight grade, Indian-origin student was recently lauded in the US city for his concrete efforts in helping underprivileged in the US and globally gain easy access to education. The student operates through his own charity organization, named Planting Pencils.

Ishaan Patel, the founder of Planting Pencils, was recently honored by the Milan Cultural Organisation during the Republic Day celebration in the legislative office building in downtown Hartford, the Bristol Press reported on Monday.

A son of immigrants from India, Patel attends Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford. He created his charity to improve access to education for underserved children around the world.

The Milan association is composed of people from India living in the US. It is engaged in promoting the traditional art and culture of India in the US. It organizes and participates in cultural events, setting up exhibitions of Indian handicrafts in schools, colleges, educational and cultural institutions, and works with other associations promoting social and civic activities.

"The goals of our organization are to let the values of our culture and heritage contribute to the strength of America, and for us to all be productive participants in the civic and social issues of the bigger community," said Suresh Sharma, president of Milan Cultural Organization.

Sharma and all the directors of the organization were impressed by this teenager's efforts to tackle global education problems. (IANS)