AUROVILLE UNITY FUND – ISAI AMBALAM SCHOOL

is an outreach school of Auroville for the villages in the west and north-west of Auroville providing holistic education over the years. It started as a drop out school and not caters to children from Creche (3 yrs age) to 8th grade.In the last year many programs were added including music – vocal, dance, tabla, drums, swimming, judo. In addition with Education by Design projects. Last year the school received a one-time grant (from Bajaj through SAIIER) that enabled us to pursue all-round development of the school and this year would like to continue these activities and projects.These activities have led to tangible improvement in the children, which has been perceived or recognized by the community and the strength of the school has increased from 89 to 130 this schooling year. We need to at least raise what we were able to last year through SAC and raise the rest through individual donations, etc..

AUROVILLE UNITY FUND STEM LAND AND RESOURCE CENTER

is an active space of learning and tinkering that provides children a choice of being self-directed, or work with peers or taking up challenges along with adults to learn. the focus will be on creating projects both physical and virtual and getting into problem solving. stem lands are set up in isai ambalam school and udavi school of auroville, but not limited to them. schools can enroll to the common space while providing an adult (teacher) who is interested in contributing to the concept. this will add to the adults engaged in these activities and in time create a community of adults who may have their own skills to contribute and activities to continue to transform their schools and spaces. home schoolers can engage with the space by providing a parent from their group who is interested in stem. the idea will be to hold multi-grade classrooms to allow active peer learning among children. there will be some effort to mix children from different backgrounds from in auroville and from the villages around auroville while being engaged in serious learning. there will be no observers,

ASHA TRUST – NAVJYOTI SWAWALAMBAN SEWA SANSTHAN

In this project, Bangaore chapter supports the project coordinator /program Manager – Nandlal Master in a project primarily supported by Austin Chapter near Varanasi. Nandlal Master is a grassroots social activist who has been working with the communities near Rajatalab, Varanasi since 1994. Most people in Rajatalab engage in Banarasi saree weaving to earn their livelihoods. In 1994, Nandlal started evening schools for the children, most of whom work to make sarees. At present, the organization provides primary education in  2 main centers and non-formal education in about 10 centers including 6 kishori kendras and more than 30 self help groups in eastern Uttar Pradesh. They are run under the name of an organization called Navjyoti Swavlamban Seva Sansthan and more information about the schools can be found on the NJSS project page.

MUKTI – MIT and Mukti Support Schools

Mukti has multiple projects with Asha for Education. Bangalore chapter supports the Mukti Institute of Technology (MIT) that not only give professional computer training (desktop publishing, tally) and spoken English classes but only runs a placement cell for remote villages in Sundarbans they work in. The chapter also supports 18 support schools in different parts of Sundarbans.  Apart from that, disaster relief efforts of Mukti are stewarded by Bangalore (namely Cyclone Amphan recently).

THE FIG TREE LEARNING CENTRE

Fig Tree Learning Centre facilitates after-school learning through alternate education in the village of Kasaghattapura, located north of Bangalore. It was started by a team of four, including Jane Sahi, who was earlier running the Sita School, also supported by Asha for Education. Around 25 Students attend two sessions every week between 4-6 PM.

THULIR

Thulir started as a centre for alternative education by Asha Fellows, Anu and Krishna in Sittlingi, Dharmapuri District in 2004. It was initially an after-school learning centre for school going children. In 2008, they started the Basic Technology program for students who dropped out of mainstream school education. In 2015, it transformed into a full fledged primary school. Land for the school was acquired in 2016 and the first phase of construction was completed in end-2018. Currently it caters to the needs of over 50 children from the Sittling valley between the age groups 3-10 years.

TIMBAKTU COLLECTIVE – CHILDRENS RESOURCE CENTER

is located 180 kms from Bangalore in C.K.Palli village in Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh. It is a space for village children and youth to have access to a library, arts & craft, laboratory, computers and playground. It also acts as a vocational training center for adolescent girls. The skills include tailoring, screen printing, bamboo work, wood work, etc