1 Eureka Child An AID INDIA Education Initiative A project to improve learning quality of 10 million children in Tamilnadu.

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Eureka ChildAn AID INDIA Education Initiative

A project to improve learning quality of

10 million children in Tamilnadu

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Access to Schooling: Good

• India out-of-school children = 4.2 %.

• Tamilnadu out-of-school children = 1.2 %.

Learning Levels of Children: Poor

• India 5th Std: Only 58% children can read a simple story.

• India 5th Std: Only 42% can do a simple division problem.

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TamilnaduWorst Performing State

ASER results show: • TN worst performing state in

reading.

• Among bottom three states in math.

Out of 1 million children in 5th Std…

• 650,000 cannot read a simple story.

• 560,000 cannot subtract.

5th Std Children Who Can Read Stories

58%35%

82%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

All India Average Tamilnadu Himachal Pradesh

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Problem Summary

• Schools in Place• Children Coming to Schools• Teachers in Place• But Learning Not Happening

Urgently Required:Ways to quickly improve

Learning Quality in Schools

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Improving Learning Quality Requires…

Community Learning Initiatives –

Libraries, Learning Festivals

Community Engagement (“Education

Watch”) to support schools and to

ensure they function well.

Group and Self Learning Activities

Remedial Activities

Learning Enrichment

Skill Evaluation

Remedial Classes for children who are

lagging behind

Training Government school teachers on

child centric group activity methods

Focus on Learning Outcomes

Effective Resource Materials

Communities Involved in

Children’s Learning

Better Teaching Methods

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Pilot Programs Implemented by AID INDIA

Reading Program7,300 schools

in 5 districts

Math Program 100 schools

Pre-primary Program 100 centers

Community Libraries 2,000 villages

Science Program900 schools

in 3 districts

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Reading PilotCampaign Scaled up Quickly and Effectively

• Six-month pilot from October 2006 to March 2007.

• 450,000 children in 7,300 schools in 5 districts.

• 225 AID INDIA staff hired and trained within a month.

• 8,000 teachers trained and provided reading kits.

• Every school visited twice a month and implementation monitored.

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Reading Pilot: How it works

1. Reading EvaluationCategorized children’s reading skills into 5 levels: story, sentence, word, letter, beginner.

2. Attractive Reading MaterialsInspired

children to read.

3. Level-Specific Group ActivitiesAdvanced children – from letter to word to

sentences to stories – step by step.

4. Ensured Children Could Read Fluently.

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Reading Pilot: ImpactImprovement in Sentence Reading in 6 months

Children Who Can Read Tamil

85%

54%52%53%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Nov 05 Mar 06 Oct 06 Mar 07

AID INDIA started reading campaign

31% jump in 6 months!

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From pilots to State wide Systemic solution

The Question…How to reach and impact 10 million children in a sustained manner?

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Two Issues• Scale

• 30 Districts• 7.5 Million Children in primary and pre-primary

• Multiple Subject Areas• Basic Programs: Reading, Math, Pre-primary, Science Experiments• Advanced Programs: English, Life Skills, Advanced Math and Science, Social Science

30 DistrictsSustainYear 7-10

10 Districts30 DistrictsYear 4-7

Action Research10 DistrictsYear 1-3

Advanced ProgramsBasic Programs

3-Phase 10-Year Solution

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Project Plan for the Basic ProgramsPhased Scaling to 30 Districts of Reading, Math, Pre-primary and Science

Year 2 and 3

10 districts13,000 schools

Direct Impact3.3 million children

After 3 years

All 30 districts- State-wide Scale-up

by Government

Direct Impact10 million children

Year 1

10 districts7,000 schools

Direct Impact1.6 million children

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Proposed Program for Phase 1

Science Experiments for 6th-8th Std Children to ensure all children learn simple experiments

Young Scientist Network to nurture children talented in science.

4000

Govt Schools

1 million children

Ensuring Children Learn Science Experiments

Comprehensive pre-primary education for 3-5 age group childrenTo ensure children start learning well right from the beginning.

6,000 Govt

pre-primary centers

300,000 children

Ensuring Children Learn Pre-primary Skills

Remedial Math for 3rd - 5th Std ChildrenTo help children who are lagging behind.

Early Math for 1st - 2nd Std ChildrenTo ensure children do not lag behind.

13,000

Govt schools

2 million children

Ensuring Children Learn Arithmetic

Community Learning Initiatives Libraries, Village Remedial Classes

Community Education Watch

To support & ensure schools

function well.

5,000 villages

250,000 children

Community Learning Centers

Remedial reading for 3rd-5th Std ChildrenTo help children who are lagging behind.

Early Reading for 1st - 2nd Std Children To ensure children do not lag behind.

13,000

Govt schools

2 million children

Ensuring Children Learn to Read

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Expected Impact Direct Impact in 10 Districts

85% can do at least 100 science experiments.

Hardly any children know

Learn Science Experiments

1 Million Children

85% can read.Only 30% can readLearn to Read2 Million Children

85% attain language, visual, counting, motor skills

Only 15% have pre-primary skills

Attain basic

pre-primary skills

300,000

Children

85% can do arithmetic operations.Only 45% can subtractLearn to do Arithmetic2 Million Children

In 3 Years…TodayWhatWho

Learning Gains in 3.3 Million Children

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Leveraging the Impact

Across Tamilnadu: Use project results to get State Govt to scale-up to the entire state.

Across India: Use project to influence other states, particularly…• Bihar

• Andhra Pradesh

• Orissa

• Uttar Pradesh

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Average Costs

• Annual cost per school = $ 150

• Annual cost per child = $ 1

• 7000 schools in Year 1 = $ 1,050,000

• 13000 schools in Year 2 = $ 1,950,000

• 13000 schools in Year 3 = $ 1,950,000

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Children’s Investment Fund Foundation

• CIFF did a thorough review of our work for close to a year.

• Looked into programs, materials, M&E, costs, systems and people and ability to scale up and deliver results.

• Rated us as one of the best education groups in the world.

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Matching Funds from CIFF

• CIFF has approved $ 800,000 as matching funds for the project for the first year.

• CIFF will match $3 for every $1 we raise.

• We need to raise $ 260,000 to get the matching $ 800,000.

• CIFF will appoint external agency to evaluate the results.

• Based on results, CIFF will approve additional funds for the second year.

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Immediate Challenge for AID

• Raise $260,000 in the next 3 months!!

• How do we do it?• Reach out to existing donor base

• Reach out to other similar minded organizations such as Asha, CRY, Vibha etc

• Reach out to other children oriented foundations (there is a lag, but may be useful for next year)

• Reach out to Indian Regional Associations.

• Organize one or a series of fundraising events

• Conduct a targeted mailing campaign

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10 million children

learn to read, do arithmetic and science.

10 million children

like Ashwini grow up with confidence.