By Susan Narjala | Corporate Communications Manager
It's the start of the school year. It's the start of building mentoring relationships between U&I tutors and their kids. It's the start of transforming the way these kids view education.
Even before classes for the year kick off, U&I emphasizes a mutually respectful and affirmative culture. One way we do this is by asking the kids to contribute to the class 'social contract' - a manifesto where the kids and the tutors brainstorm their expectations of each other.
For once in their lives, these children have the opportunity to set the ground rules for the classroom. And year after year, these kids' wisdom has blown us away. At the U&I Learning Center @ Akkamahadevi, the kids decided on rules like punctuality and discipline in the classroom. One of the children, Nadhini, told the tutors that she wants to be treated in a friendly way. Another kid, Malathy, informed the teachers that she wants her tutor to give her up-to-date information.
When we give the kids ownership of their classroom culture, the results are always stunning. For once, they are given a voice, a say in what they need - and that sets the tone for the class for the rest of the year. For once, no one is talking at them or down to them. And we believe this is where real impact begins.
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.
