Prapti Foundation: Using Body, Brain for quality of education
BENGALURU: The Centre may be diligent in implementing the Right To Education (RTE) Act and allowing poor students access to private schools. But what it has failed to address is the basic problem of lack of quality education in government schools. To find a solution, Prapti Foundation is working with government schoolchildren to improve the quality of education.
It mainly focuses on anganawadis and believes that every child is unique and gifted. Megha Suhas, Founder, Prapti Foundation, told Deccan Chronicle, “Earlier, I was the Program Director for an educational start-up where we delivered the programme to over 50 schools across the country, covering around 65,000 children between 3 and 12 years of age.
Then we came up with this dream called Prapti Foundation, because I believe that children will reach their unique potential when they go beyond academic learning and include sports, arts, and creative activities in their learning schedule. I am passionate about working with children and inculcating in them a lifelong love of knowledge and learning.”
The Foundation aims to support and enhance educational and socio-emotional development of these children. With the approval from the state government and the support and encouragement of donors, around 1,000 Anganawadi children have benefited from their programmes.
The team at Prapti claims that the concept is to recognise and utilise the whole body as an instrument of learning. While doing this, the child learns anything with the body enabling strong wiring within the brain ensuring better understanding, application and memory. With this, the concept taught gets into memory as in the process of cycling and swimming or even walking.
“The classroom sessions at Prapti Foundation are conducted by trained facilitators which help the children enhance their body coordination, finetune their motor skills, cognitive concepts, memory and confidence. Most of all, they experience the joy in learning through our fun-filled curriculum and methodology.
gives them a foundational capability making them school ready and improve their chances in succeeding in higher classes. Activities can be integrated seamlessly into any class, depending on the age of the student and the concept. Even for students at higher grades, we can use the body to change and improve the thinking process of the child,” Ms Suhas said.
The Foundation started its first class in 2017 at one Anganawadi centre for one hour a week. The following year, with the government permission, it spread its branches to 10 schools impacting 250 children covering sessions for hours a week in each Anganawadi. This year, it has expanded its operations to 33 Anganawadis impacting around 1,000 children. The Anganwadis that the Foundation is covering are located in and around Tumakuru Road.