Along with supporting field projects and innovative practices, the Trust has supported institution development in the area of elementary and higher education through its grant making. As a part of this sub-theme, the Trust provides: (i) strategic support to institutions of higher learning; and (ii) institutional support to alternative and heritage schools.

Strategic support to higher education institutions is provided for: (a) field impacting and innovative programmes; (b) linking elementary and higher education; and (c) linking average institutions with prime institutions to enhance quality of curriculum, faculty development and the academic rigor of the former. Following are some of the institutions supported by the Trust.

1. Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS), Bangalore
The Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS) is an independent academic institution founded in 1996, by a group of prominent social science scholars. It conducts a Doctoral programme, an online Masters programme and a one year Diploma in Culture Studies. CSCS’s core areas of research consist of: (a) gender studies; (b) media studies and popular culture; (c) rethinking humanities and social sciences; (d) education; and (e) law and culture. The Trust is supporting CSCS’ ‘Growth Plan for an Interdisciplinary Institute for Culture Studies’ over a three year period, beginning October 2005. During the project period, CSCS is: (a) refining the core academic programmes, including the curriculum and course delivery of the newly launched Masters programme; (b) deepening collaborations by focused and intensive work with Christ College, Bangalore University and leading science institutions in Bangalore, besides initiating collaborative research programmes with select international universities / institutions; and (c) undertaking new initiatives, which include launching an M.Phil programme to widen the scope of the academic programmes directly offered by the institute, besides initiation of the comparative project on education, enabling the organisation to enquire into issues in the field of elementary education. In addition, CSCS plans to organize at least one annual international conference, teach at least three courses at affiliated institutions and make course material available on the web for wider dissemination.

2. Tata-Dhan Academy, Madurai
Since January 2003, the Trust is providing strategic support to the Tata-Dhan Academy, an institution formed through a collaboration with the Development of Humane Action Foundation (DHAN), Madurai. The Tata-Dhan Academy is slated to become a centre of excellence in development education and training that integrates cutting edge management skills with an in-depth understanding of the field and the community. The ongoing support to the Tata Dhan Academy (TDA) enabled it to conduct three short duration programmes during 2005-06, namely, (a) ART of up-scaling microfinance; (b) Social Development Research Capacity (SDRC) building for academia, government, NGOs and researchers; (Click here to read more) and (c) Leadership Education in Agricultural Development (LEAD), besides continuing a long duration Programme on Development Management.

Recognizing the role played by small, alternative schools in advancing the educational discourse, developing innovative practices and demonstrating quality education, the Trust provides institutional support to alternative and heritage schools. Some of the schools supported by the Trust include:

Khelghar – Activity cum learning centre for slum children, Pune
The Trust has been supporting Khelghar, an activity cum learning centre for slum children, run by Pune based Palakneeti Pariwar. Khelghar closely works with first generation learners from a community in Pune. The ongoing phase of support is towards expanding and deepening the scope of Khelghar by intensively working with 110 school going children from a slum community, providing resource support in setting up new activity cum learning centres in other slum communities by training 50 community based workers from at least 4 communities to work with over 300 children and initiating focused engagement with 60 youths and 30 out of school children in the community. The components within the project include: (a) providing academic and co-curricular support to children from the Laxmi Nagar slum; (b) providing resource support to expand the Khelghar concept; and (c) engaging with youth and out of school children. Khelghar is expected to enhance learning opportunities of about 460 children from under privileged backgrounds that are most likely to drop out from schools.

Deenabandhu School, Chamarajanagar
The Trust is supporting the Deenabandhu Trust towards strengthening its primary school in Chamrajnagar, Karnataka. The organisation endeavours to rehabilitate orphan, destitute and estranged children, whilst providing quality education to children from families of poor laborers and marginal farmers. Towards this, it established a home for orphans in 1992 and the primary school in 1998. Currently, there are 44 boys in the home while the school caters 158 children from pre-school to class VI. In the school, the curriculum tries to impart value based and creative education for developing innate potential within every child. The Trust’s support is towards: (i) providing partial support for the operational costs of the school; (ii) support for teacher development; and (iii) initiation of financial planning exercise for the school. The support enables Deenabandhu School to provide education to children from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, implementing a health and supplementary nutrition programme, developing a science resource centre for teachers and investing in building capacities of the teachers.

Anand Sankul School, Nasik
The Anand Sankul School was set up as an alternative school by Avishkar Shikshan Sansthan, Nasik in 1998. This organisation consists of a motivated, young group from Nasik, who were dissatisfied with the prevailing system of education that is bookish, elitist and exam oriented. Inspired by educational philosophers and alternative schools in Maharashtra, the group decided to start a school that would practice child-centered, socially relevant and creative education. The school was set up with 15 children and a single class. Eight years later, the school has 180 children from balwadi to class VII. The school is recognized by the Government of Maharashtra on a non-aid basis and follows the prescribed curriculum of the Maharashtra state board, while introducing experiential learning, project method and self-study to ensure better grasp of basic concepts and interconnections between subjects. Along with textbooks, study tours, reference material, experiments, interaction with artists, scientists and citizens is built into the school curriculum. The Trust is supporting the school since April 2005, during which, an administrator has been appointed to formalize the internal systems in the school, prepare a financial plan and raise funds for the school from institutions and individuals. Teacher education is also being strengthened. Two residential workshops for teachers are being planned, to build their perspective on education and impart subject specific skills. Further, a select number of teachers are being sent for trainings and exposure visits to organisations like Navnirimiti, Mumbai for mathematics training Srijananad, Kolhapur for language training and Aksharnandan, Pune for exposure to organizing the high school section. The school is also initiating a corpus fund, for which contributions would be raised from other sources. Sponsorship for children from poorer backgrounds is being partially supported by the Trust along with other operational costs.

Nai Talim Basic School, Sevagram, Wardha
An education system based on the needs of the nation, its culture and its values can only aid the development of the country. This was highlighted by Mahatma Gandhi in 1937, when he put forth the concept of “Nai Talim”, based on two basic principles, these being: (i) all education through productive work; and (ii) self reliance of the system and the child. In 1965, Nai Talim Samiti was set up to bring together various people and institutions working in primary education and hold events to promote the basic education approach. Schools based on Nai Talim / basic education approach were consequently started in different parts in the country, including Sevagram. Over time, the lack of resources and visionary leadership, coupled with systemic constraints, caused the experiment to lose its initial vigor. However currently, with the involvement of select educationists, Nai Talim Samiti is planning to revive the school in Sevagram and reinvigorate the concept of “Nai Talim. The Trust is supporting Nai Talim Samiti for this purpose, August 2005 onwards. During the project period, the school: (i) provides an educational environment that takes care of the physical, intellectual and socio-psychological development of the child and responsible citizenship; (ii) experiments on methods of Nai Talim for the full realization of children’s potential; and (iii) develops and implements suitable curriculum. The following activities are being carried out: (i) at pre-primary level, creation of an activity based joyful learning atmosphere and creation of basic competencies including play, introduction to arts and craft, activities for reasoning, preschool mathematics, language development, etc; (ii) at the primary level, building up various competencies and values, integration of work, play and education.

Within this subtheme, the Trust is also supporting Society for Assistance to Children in Difficult Situation (SATHI), Raichur, towards its home placement programme focussing on runaway children that find their way onto railway stations. The Trust has partnered SATHI since 1996 and its support has enabled the organisation to upscale its work significantly. The current ongoing phase of support is towards enabling SATHI to strategically expand its reach to 40 railway platforms (including 17 new platforms) across 10 states, besides establishing a network to consolidate the child rehabilitation work through strategic alliances with 40 NPOs, 20 Child Welfare Committees (CWC) and the police.
(Click here for applying to SATHI’s Fellowship Programme)