Reducing school drop outs in rural India

In the last three months the project supported students in the adopted villages and schools to prepare themselves for the upcoming annual exams and to help them in planning the next steps / for their future.  A number of activities were taken up with this in mind

After school tuitions: were done with additional rigor in all the schools, particularly in the high school and higher secondary school where students were going to face the State Board Exams. The daily session were focused on strengthening the students’’ knowledge, filling their gaps in understanding and helping them with taking practice exams. These after school tuitions also focused on building students confidence in attending the exams.

Motivation sessions: special motivation sessions were conducted for students in higher secondary classes. In particular focus sessions were conducted with 235 10^th class students to plan and prepare for the life defining 10^th board exams. Students were empowered on how to focus on their studies and overcome the struggles they faced daily while studying and how to take help from other students/ peers who were doing better than them. The sessions also focused on how to score high marks, tips for taking exams, how to study in focused manner, how to improve memory through simple Yoga techniques. Ultimately the sessions helped to encourage and motivate the students to believe that they can do well and to have the confident attitude and approach to studying and taking the exams.

Skills Training Workshop: A special skills building workshop was conducted for 40+ students who had taken the 12^th exams in project villages. The focus on this workshop was to empower the students and strengthen their skills and provide them exposures that otherwise would not be possible. The students were helped in the following areas: self-awareness, building leadership skills, understand the process of decision making, learn good communication skills and in expressing themselves, identifying their skills and assets and helping them to develop their writing skills. During the course of the workshop the students also started the process of developing their resume, and were helped to understand the various options they have for their careers.

In addition to above, the project supported to conduct annual day programs in some of the middle schools and helping to bid farewell to students moving on to another school/ moving to high school. To encourage and motivate them to do well in their education, students were provided with parting gifts, like a watch. The expectation was these students would continue to be motivated and continue 9^th standard successful.