Summary

It is an initiative in primary education designed to create atmospheres and train teachers to understand how children learn and adopt multiple methods for children to explore, experience and learn their academics through drawing, games, sports, songs, dance, music, theatre, weaving, cooking and farming. We have developed specially designed books aligned with NEP and NCERT guidelines, ensuring that concepts are clearly understood and learning outcomes are met in a practical, relevant manner. Cognitive Development, Language & Literacy Development, Health & Physical Development, Creative Expression & Aesthetic Appreciation, Social and Emotional Development, we have integrated these principles into our approach.


Challenge

Industrialised farming is a better metaphor to understand the present education system because it deals with living organisms. Farmers went from an organic model of farming that prioritized crop diversity, rotation and fertile soil to a system of mono-crops that easily fall prey to pests, which in turn are killed with chemicals. The focus is on output and yield, which increased with chemical fertilizers. This system does what it was designed to do -- it produces a lot of food but at the expense of the environment.

Similarly, the education system treats all children the same way, expecting them to move through the system at the same pace, learning the same content.

Similarly, the education system has focused on increasing the number of high school graduates, and the output, with no concern for whether they become happy, fulfilled human beings.


Solution

We believe we can only succeed if we recognize that education is an organic system,  by not focusing on yield, but focusing on the culture of the school. A healthy mix of mentorship, arts, physical education, academic subjects and more creates the “healthy soil” in this analogy, the environment in which kids can flourish.  , as we bring creative approaches to learning

Our primary focus is to bring creative approaches to learning, by creating an atmosphere for visual/auditory/tactile and kinaesthetic learners.

Changes we need to bring into the school

We follow no single school philosophy. It evolves continuously and takes the best shape based on the needs of children by keeping NCERT guidelines in mind.

Our approach is to engage and succeed, as education has to develop on three fronts.

Firstly, it should foster diversity by offering a broad and balanced curriculum including languages, math, the arts, sciences, humanities, and physical education and develop non-statutory guidelines and resources to support them and encourage individualization of the learning process.

Secondly, it should promote curiosity through creative teaching and real-life application, which depends on high-quality teacher selection, training, support and development.

Finally, it should focus on awakening creativity through alternative didactic processes that put less emphasis on standardized testing in favour of more informative approaches to assessment,  thereby giving the responsibility for defining the course of education to individual teachers.


Long-Term Impact

Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of the schools, when we empower a teacher they will create a culture for valuable learning for every child* to learn how to learn. (*In India average teacher and student ratio is 1:30.)

Children are natural learners. In a strong learning environment, they can become fulfilled individuals and active, compassionate citizens.


Resources

Some of the schools we are working with

LPCT Gujarati Vidyalayam, Vijayawada.

Heal Paradise, Thotapalli.

Vanaja Chandra Public School, Cherukupalli.

 

LPCT GUJARATI VIDYALAYAM

LPCT Gujarati Vidyalayam is a government-aided school which was established in the 1960s in 1 town VIJAYAWADA.  Children from LKG to 10th class with poor economic backgrounds study here and the school is catering for the educational needs of 550 children.

We have planned our program in such a way that every day the children of all classes come together for one and half hours to participate in different club activities.  We found a significant change in the children’s overall development.

 

VANAJA CHANDRA PUBLIC SCHOOL, GADAVALLI

This school is established by NAUDAMMA FOUNDATION in 1992

In Gudavalli ,Cherukupalli Mandal, Guntur dt.  Children from LKG to 10th class with different economic and rural backgrounds study here and the school's total strength is around 1300.

Out of these 1300 children, nearly 600 children are studying in the nursery to 5th class under a program named ANKURAM which is designed and developed by SEED BIRD.

The children of Ankuram are learning their academics completely through experiential learning methods. We are continuously training the teachers and interacting with parents with the support of management, to create awareness about these practical learning methods.

 

HEAL PARADISE, THOTAPALLY

It is a school for orphan and destitute children which is located in Thotapalli, Agiripalli Mandal, Krishna Dt. Along with education HEAL also provides food and boarding facilities. Children from 1st class to 12th class study here and the school's total strength is around 600.

Nearly 300 children are studying in primary school. We have been training teachers and working with children of primary for the past 2years.  Academic concepts are integrated with different activities like games, arts, theatre, storytelling, farming, cooking etc and we have seen significant changes in the children.

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