Children in South India live in abject poverty, especially in discriminated Dalit and Tribal social groups. Parents lack education, are illiterate, and work menial jobs for little pay. Their unsupported children fall behind and drop out of school. Our after school Education Centers operate 3 hours a day 6 days a week and are free for students. The tutoring is associated with a 20 point increase in math and language performance. Please visit our website link below for more information.
Our children are vulnerable to multigenerational poverty, particularly among socially discriminated Dalit and Tribal social groups. Parents are uneducated, illiterate, and are forced to work menial jobs for little pay. Parents feel helpless to support their children's learning. Children aren't encouraged to develop good study habits at home, and some have to work odd jobs to support the family's income instead of studying. As a result, children fall behind in school or drop out.
Our organization has established after school Education Centers in poor rural communities where dropout rates are particularly high. Classes are held 3 hours for 6 days every week, with between 1-3 tutors at every center, depending on the size of the class. Our staff meet regularly with parents to explain how they can get involved in students' learning, explain their students' progress, and encourage the development of a parent's association to support community children.
Our project's goal is to to promote a sustainable support system for students' academic progress, by encouraging parental involvement in the Center's funding. Over the course of three years, parents will learn how they can best support educational progress, both individually and as a group, by advocating the wider community for support of the after school Centers. Students will perform better academically, and more students will pursue secondary schooling.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
