Life Skills using Lego for 260 Children in India

Starting with a handful of children in 2018-19, 2022-23 saw 1024 children in the Lego program. With schools re-opening their doors post-Covid, we went back to physical sessions. In 2022-23, we had 499 girls and 530 boys across 18 schools in Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune and Dharwad (rural). A total of 47 batches were taught by 19 teachers (many of them from the same communities as our students).

The average student attendance across sites around 70%. As many students were coming to school after a 2-year gap, schools also saw ups and downs in attendance and our program followed a similar pattern. While students took time to settle back into a routine after 2 years, by the 3rd or 4th month, student attendance, focus and regularity improved significantly. Equallay important was the support of parents and the community. We saw this support through the year, and especially during the end-of-year showcase. Student groups worked on various problems based on a community survey and used lego blocks to create solutions. They presented their solutions in community events where the attendance of parents and community members was overwhelming. The impact of the program is of course seen in students growing in leadership skills like creative problem solving, collaboration & team work, awareness of issues around them, presentation skills and confidence. But parents and the community are also seeing the difference in the attitudes and behaviours of their children and realising the importance of leadership skills and life skills.

Another important event that took place this year, our first time, was a national event called ELevate 2023. Student teams who won at the regional Lego showcases went to Mumbai to compete at the national level. Most students were leaving their urban neighbourhoods or village communities for the first time. So the experience of traveling to a far-off city without their families, presenting their solutions to a much larger audience, meeting and learning from students from other parts of the country - was a memorable learning experience for students. 

Your generous support, helps us keep our students in the program and help them build critical life skills and leadership skills which we hope will not only help them be successful personally and professionally, but also help build a generation of young leaders who care for their communities and the larger world around them. 

Since thank you for each and every child!!

Links:

• ELevate - our end-of-year flagship event