Improve education for Nepali girls and minorities

We’re excited to continue our teacher training program focused on reading aloud to children. Following some success last year in the pilot version of the training in Kavre district, we will work with those same schools again along with new schools in a nearby district, Nuwakot.

After talking with teachers, students and parents at the 13 participating schools, we have identified their primary need as improving the learning environment. To help make classrooms more stimulating, we will provide materials that encourage learning through play.

The training will emphasize learning experiences outside the classroom. A traditional school field trip is still somewhat of a novel concept at most government-run schools in rural areas of Nepal where we work.

For children, the training program is designed to promote basic reading skills and enjoyment of books. The training will include instruction for teachers about the different learning styles and needs of their students.

We have worked with teachers, parents, school management committees and local government officials to develop the training curriculum. Educating parents about reading is critical to the success of the program. We’ve also reached out to some other local organizations working in early childhood development and the creative arts.

Publishers based in the Kathmandu Valley have donated nearly 500 books (in both Nepali and English) which we will distribute to the 13 schools along with classroom materials like blocks, puppets, flashcards, colored paper and posters. We also will provide classrooms with reading tables and chairs, carpets, cushions and painting materials.

The items will be delivered after the monsoon season, in late September and early October. Training sessions will take place from October through February.

We’re excited to announce that Kakshyalaya, our new partner organization in Nepal, has opened its office in Lalitpur district, not far from Kathmandu. The name loosely translates into English as “inspiring classrooms.”

Kakshyalaya will conduct teacher training programs, emphasizing reading aloud to students, in Kavre and Lalitpur districts. This is a continuation of the training program we conducted in 2017.

 We’ve begun the initial planning of the next round of training, meeting with school principals and local government officials who must approve the program before it can start in early summer.

We expect to work with about 12-15 schools. We are choosing schools based on their enrollment of ethnic minorities, the amount of financial support they receive from the government, and student test scores on the nationwide exam.

The Kakshyalaya office is located in the heart of Lalitpur. The space has two office rooms, a meeting room, a small pantry/kitchen and another room that can be used for volunteers.

Our staff, executive director Niranjan Nursing Khatri and project coordinator Salpa Shrestha, spent a week cleaning up the place and giving it a fresh coat of paint. They said it was a rewarding experience that gave them a sense of ownership. They’re looking forward to kicking off the training program soon.