Education India Project #73082

Unlock Learning for Rural Children in India

by One Billion Literates Foundation

Project Report | Jul 2, 2026
Program Progress Report (Apr - May, 2026)

By Dr Rohit Kumar Kankar | Lead M & E

GlobalGiving Project Report

Reporting Period: April – May 2026

Organization: One Billion Literates Foundation (OBLF)

Project: Unlock Learning for Rural Children in India

Overview

One Billion Literates Foundation (OBLF) continued strengthening learning opportunities for children and improving teacher capacity across the North East Karnataka (NEK) in aspirational districts of Yadgir & Raichur. The focus was on preventing learning loss during school vacations, enhancing teacher competencies before the new academic year, and strengthening institutional collaboration with government stakeholders.

With the generous support of GlobalGiving donors, OBLF reached more than 130 children through an intensive summer learning programme and equipped teachers with practical skills in English language proficiency, learner-centred pedagogy, and digital teaching tools. These interventions have contributed to creating a stronger learning environment while preparing schools for the upcoming academic session.

What Your Support Made Possible

1. Preventing Learning Loss Through Summer Camp

From 11 April to 24 April 2026, we organized a 14-day Summer Camp for children from project schools. More than 130 students actively participated in structured learning sessions covering English, Mathematics, and Art & Craft. The programme was designed to ensure that children remained academically engaged during the school vacation while simultaneously nurturing creativity, communication, confidence, and collaborative learning.

Students participated in interactive classroom activities, group exercises, creative projects, and hands-on learning experiences that made education enjoyable while reinforcing foundational skills.

The Summer Camp concluded with an Annual Day celebration where students confidently demonstrated their learning through cultural performances, exhibitions, and creative presentations before parents and community members. Approximately 150 students and 50 parents attended the closing ceremony, creating a strong platform for community engagement and reinforcing parental involvement in children's education.

2. Building Teacher Capacity for Better Classrooms

Recognizing that quality education begins with empowered teachers, OBLF conducted a 15-day Summer Teacher Training Programme before the reopening of schools.

The training focused on three critical areas:

English Language Proficiency
Effective learner-centred pedagogical practices
Use of Google Workspace and digital tools for classroom instruction

Teachers participated in interactive practice sessions, collaborative learning exercises, classroom simulations, and communication activities that strengthened both their instructional skills and confidence.

The programme equipped teachers with practical approaches that they can immediately integrate into their classrooms, ultimately contributing to improved student engagement and learning outcomes throughout the academic year.

3. Strengthening Community Engagement

Community participation remains central to OBLF's education model. The Annual Day celebration brought together parents, local leaders, School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) members, and community supporters who witnessed children's progress and celebrated their achievements.

Local community members also demonstrated ownership of the programme through in-kind contributions, including educational materials and meals for participating children. Such collaboration strengthens local commitment toward sustaining quality education.

4. Strengthening Institutional Partnerships

During this reporting period, OBLF successfully submitted its Annual Project Report (2025–26) to the Zilla Panchayat, Raichur. The report documented programme achievements, teacher capacity-building initiatives, school support activities, and educational outcomes, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and collaboration with government stakeholders.

Strong partnerships with local government continue to enhance programme sustainability and alignment with public education priorities.

Impact at a Glance

During April–May 2026:

More than 130 children participated in a 14-day Summer Learning Camp.
Students strengthened foundational learning in English and Mathematics while developing creativity through Art & Craft.
A 15-day teacher capacity-building programme improved educators' English proficiency, teaching methodologies, and digital classroom skills.
Approximately 150 students and 50 parents participated in the Annual Day celebration, strengthening community ownership of education.
Government collaboration was reinforced through the successful submission of the annual programme report.

Challenges

Like many education programmes operating in rural settings, sustaining student engagement during vacation periods and ensuring regular participation required continuous coordination with schools, parents, and community stakeholders.

Teachers also entered the training programme with varying levels of digital literacy and English proficiency. To address this, facilitators adopted differentiated learning approaches, peer learning methods, and practical demonstrations that enabled all participants to actively engage regardless of their starting skill level.

Lessons Learned

The reporting period reinforced several important lessons:

Learning programmes conducted during school vacations effectively reduce learning loss while keeping children motivated.
Investing in teacher development has a multiplier effect, benefiting hundreds of students throughout the academic year.
Strong community participation significantly improves programme ownership and sustainability.
Combining academic learning with creative and experiential activities increases student participation, confidence, and overall learning outcomes.

Looking Ahead

In the coming months, OBLF will continue supporting project schools by strengthening classroom teaching, mentoring teachers, monitoring student learning outcomes, and deepening engagement with communities and government stakeholders.

Future activities will focus on improving foundational literacy and numeracy, strengthening English language learning, expanding digital teaching practices, and ensuring that every child receives quality education in an inclusive and engaging learning environment.

Thank You

We sincerely thank the GlobalGiving community and all donors for making these achievements possible. Your support is helping children in North East Karnataka access engaging learning opportunities, empowering teachers with better instructional skills, and building stronger partnerships that contribute to long-term improvements in education.

Together, we are creating brighter futures for children through quality education.

Permalink

Mar 5, 2026
Program Progress Report (Dec 2025 - Feb 2026)

By Rohit Kumar Kankar | Lead M & E

Unlock Learning for Rural Children in India

Executive Summary

The Unlock Learning for Rural Children program aims to improve foundational literacy, numeracy, and English language skills among students studying in government schools in the two key aspirational districts – Yadgir & Raichur, Karnataka. The initiative focuses on strengthening classroom teaching practices through teacher training, academic mentoring, and continuous classroom observation. During the reporting period, teachers implemented activity-based learning methods that improved student engagement and participation in classrooms.

Students demonstrated progress in foundational skills such as phonics, sentence formation, number recognition, and conceptual understanding through thematic classroom activities. Regular classroom observations and teacher support helped improve instructional quality and effective use of teaching-learning materials. Parent–Teacher Meetings and student showcase events also strengthened community involvement in education.

The program continues to work closely with school leaders and education department officials to ensure alignment with government priorities and sustainability of learning improvements. Positive feedback from stakeholders and education officials highlights the growing impact of the initiative and the potential for expansion to additional schools in the region.

Activities Implemented (Dec 2025 - Feb 2026)

Teacher Training and Academic Support

Multiple teacher training sessions were conducted to enhance classroom instruction and strengthen teachers’ pedagogical skills. Key training themes included:

Nali-Kali teaching approaches for activity-based learning
English grammar topics such as adjectives and present perfect tense
Text analysis and comprehension strategies
Endline assessment orientation to help teachers evaluate learning outcomes
Library orientation sessions to support reading culture in schools

Teachers collaborated in groups to develop lesson plans, classroom activities, and teaching-learning materials (TLMs) to improve student engagement.

Classroom Observations and Mentoring

Regular classroom observations were conducted to provide teachers with structured feedback and academic support.

During the reporting period:

25 classroom observations were conducted in November
28 classroom observations were conducted in December
28 classroom observations were conducted in February

These visits helped identify areas for improvement and ensured that teachers were implementing activity-based learning methods effectively.

Classroom Learning Activities

Teachers implemented interactive classroom activities designed to strengthen foundational learning.

Key learning themes included:

Colours and shapes recognition
Sentence formation using “today”, “yesterday”, and “tomorrow”
Phonics and long vowel sounds
Comparative and superlative forms in English
Early numeracy and number recognition
Transport theme learning about land, air, and water transport

Students actively participated in storytelling, drawing, rhymes, and practical demonstrations, which helped improve comprehension and engagement.

Parent–Teacher Meetings and Community Engagement

Parent–Teacher Meetings (PTMs) were conducted in several schools to involve families in students’ learning.

During these meetings:

Parents were encouraged to support children’s learning at home.
Awareness was created about the importance of reading habits.
Students demonstrated their learning through presentations and activities.

These events strengthened the connection between schools and communities and increased parental engagement in education.

Stakeholder Engagement and Government Coordination

The program team actively engaged with education department officials and local stakeholders to strengthen program alignment with government priorities.

Key engagements included:

Meetings with Block Education Officers (BEOs), BRPs, and ECOs
Participation in NGO coordination meetings at the Taluk Panchayat
Submission of program reports to education authorities
Invitations to officials to attend school events and observe classrooms

Education officials appreciated the progress in students’ English learning and expressed interest in expanding the program to additional schools facing teacher shortages.

Student Showcase and Learning Events

Year-end showcase events were organized in schools where students presented their learning outcomes through:

Demonstrations of classroom activities
Student presentations
Performances and interactive sessions

Parents, school management committees, and education officials attended these events and appreciated the students’ confidence and communication skills.

Outcome & Impact

The program has contributed to several positive outcomes:

Increased student participation and engagement in classrooms
Improved confidence among students in speaking and presenting in English
Better understanding of foundational concepts in literacy and numeracy
Strengthened teacher capacity through training and mentoring
Greater involvement of parents and community members in school activities

Students were able to confidently identify concepts such as colours, shapes, numbers, and modes of transport, while also developing basic language and communication skills.

Challenges

Despite positive progress, some challenges remain:

Low academic performance in some secondary-level examinations
Limited infrastructure and teaching resources in certain schools
Need for continuous subject-specific teacher training
Weak foundational literacy and numeracy levels among some students
Limited parental engagement in a few communities

Addressing these challenges will require continued academic support and stronger collaboration with school authorities.

Lessons Learned

Key lessons from the implementation include:

Activity-based teaching methods significantly improve student engagement.
Continuous classroom observation and mentoring support teachers in improving instructional quality.
Parent involvement plays an important role in strengthening student learning outcomes.
Collaboration with government education officials helps align program efforts with broader education priorities.

Next Steps

In the coming months, the program will focus on:

Conducting additional teacher training sessions to strengthen subject knowledge and teaching methods
Continuing regular classroom observations and academic mentoring
Organizing student assessments and speaking evaluations to measure learning outcomes
Conducting year-end showcase events in additional schools
Strengthening partnerships with education authorities to expand the program to more schools

Permalink

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.