THE BRIGHT SPARK EDUCATION PROGRAMME,

YOUNGISTAAN FOUNDATION

ANNUAL REPORT (Apr ‘2016 – Jun ‘2017)

Multidimensional poverty coupled with a culture of schooling devoid of care and

relevant, real-world connections conditions learners into becoming passive recipients of knowledge. The children we transact with are below grade learners who struggle with functional illiteracy even as they are promoted from one class to the next leading to disinterest in academic life and alienation from learning in general.

Failure to make sense of schoolwork and keep up with academic demands of successive classes acutely affects children’s general levels of motivation and sense of self-worth.

This disengagement from learning prevents many children from developing foundational social and cognitive skills that should form an integral part of education; skills required to become independent learners and productive citizens in the future.

The Bright Spark program attempts to build conscious strategies of active engagement with learners. We attempt to redefine the learning space so as to rejuvenate children’s educational experiences so that they are emotionally and cognitively invested in their own learning now and in the future.

Currently, our program engages with 5 learning pockets – two shelter homes, 2 slums, and one government-aided school.

HIGHLIGHTS

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING -

We believe that cognitive and affective development of a child is closely interlinked and key psychosocial competencies are an integral part of a successful and ethically sound education. This year we focused on –

Self AwarenessEmpathy towards peersRespecting Difference/DiversityCooperative Learning

1) Our mentor teams conducted an art-cum-reflective dialogue session entitled 'My Future - My India', where mentors had stimulating, open-ended conversations with the children about 'independence' and 'slavery' and the possibility of non-violent forms of subversion. Then children went on to depict individual versions of what their future India could possibly be for all its citizens. 

2) 45 children took the DESI (Diversity Education) exhibition tour organised by Dialogue in the Dark, a sensitization program that compelled our youngsters to think, imagine, and talk about disability, difference, equal worth and respect. 

Participants stepped into utter darkness and for a brief time (1 hour) into the shoes of visually impaired individuals who then guided them through everyday activities.

3) We collaborated with the Learning Curve Life Skills Foundation to conduct a summer camp at Bright Spark's Gachibowli learning pocket. The camp focused on learning the art of collaboration and teamwork through art and storytelling.

4) Focusing on Self Awareness, our mentor teams designed age-appropriate sessions on ‘Safe/Unsafe Touch’, which comprised of conversations about a child’s body and mind, viewing of an animated video followed by a discussion differentiating between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ touch, useful safety tips, and an art activity where children created their own colourful Circle of Trust posters.

5) The Bright Spark team partnered with a local theatre group to conduct a 24-day workshop for children at the Gachibowli Learning Pocket.

The workshop was a wonderful opportunity for the children to explore, animate, and develop emotional and social life skills such as perspective-taking (critical thinking), cooperative learning, active listening, healthy communication, personal responsibility, and

self-expression through the medium of drama.

The 2-month long theatre workshop culminated in a stage production with 13 children acting on stage for the very first time in their lives to an audience of 200.

MENTOR TRAINING & WORKSHOPS

1) Bright Spark mentors and the Learning Curve came together for the second session of the Life Skills Development Programme. We focussed on the basics of developmental psychology and efficient classroom management.

With life skills training we hope to nurture not only the spirits of our children but our mentors as well. Responsive communication, sound emotional skills, and creative problem-solving are some of our long-term goals.

2) We have entered a partnership with a teacher training NGO, who have designed a training intervention (for the period of 12 months from Jan 2017 to Dec 2017) that aims to activate progressive pedagogical skills, mentor self-development & leadership, and mentor sensitization.

The full-day workshops are guiding Bright Spark volunteers on their journey to engage

and empower disadvantaged learners, and help create common tools to systematize necessary organizational processes that will contribute to the overall effectiveness of the education program.

The following areas/milestones have been explored –

First round of observation visits to different learning pockets.

First round of one-on-one mentoring conversations with individual volunteers.

Using experiential learning cycle model in teaching.

Exploring Group Dynamics.

Different Childhoods in India/ Understanding areas of Child Development

Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development.

Mentor-Mentee Relationship – Values-Attitudes-Behaviours

Listening Skills/ESCA – Problem-Solving & Conflict Handling

3) We invited a TEFL instructor to conduct a workshop for our volunteers focusing on the different language modules and corresponding lesson formats.

The facilitator is assisting the Bright Spark core team in evolving English language modules where SEL is embedded in the teaching content.

OUTDOOR/EXPOSURE VISITS

1) Our volunteers took an all-girls group of adolescents to their office space in a leading MNC where the girls played games, roamed the campus, and had a stimulating conversation around their personal goals and aspirations.

2) 70 children visited the Hyderabad Children’s Theatre Festival to go watch the play ‘Dinosaur’ that displayed shadow puppetry on stage and led to engaging conversations with the older children on the many meanings of family and friendship.

3) The Youngistaan Foundation Christmas Carnival that hosted close to 400 children was the ideal platform for a Bright Spark Talent Festival. Children from different learning pockets showcased their unique dance talents on stage and received uproarious applause and encouragement.

ESTABLISHED A NEW LEARNING POCKET –

After a preliminary survey at a local basti in Gachibowli, we set up a learning shed within the slum with the help of local members of the community last May (2016). We now engage close to 20 children at this basti and have built a strong relationship with the parents.

WOMEN OF COURAGE,YOUNGISTAAN FOUNDATION

Women of Courage is a gender awareness program that aims to build safe spaces of dialogue

and engage and empower adolescent girls at government schools and slums. It sparks and sustains crucial conversations on teen health and sanitation, taboos and myths, the gender gap in education, and safety rights.

The WOC team in the last few (May 2017 – June 2017) months has conducted awareness programs for close to 3000 girls and close to 500 women.

The volunteer team has been conducting programs ever Saturday at different locations without missing a single Saturday.

The team have also distributed close to 2000 sanitary pads.

We plan to reach out to 5,00,000 girl In the next one year.

For more informationFollow at:www.facebook.com/younghydwww.youngistaanfoundation.org