Geographical Coverage: 2506 Schools in 19 Districts
Children Reached: 63,880 Children
Volunteers Mobilized: 8187 Volunteers
 

• Block Excellence Programs (BEPs) and Rural District Resource Centers (DRC) are running across 19 districts in Bihar, with volunteers conducting daily classes for children in Standards 1-5. Classes are given in government schools, ensuring that the focused learning programs reach the neediest children of the region– children of every caste and hamlet of the villages in India’s poorest state. Pratham also trains “tola sevaks”, government workers hired to enroll and work with out-of-school children, in Pratham’s activity-based, outcome-oriented teaching methods. In two Read India blocks, Pratham is also conducting a mother’s literacy program, which is being evaluated by MIT’s Jameel Poverty Action Lab. In the Purnia DRC, local staff organized a science fair and demonstrations in government primary schools.
• The Urban District Resource Center (DRC) provides volunteer-led classes for children in Stds. 1-5 in government schools in Patna and in one nearby rural block, in addition to working with the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) preschools across the city and in the rural coverage area. Volunteers in the DRC undergo extensive training, with ongoing capacity building classes in Math, Hindi, and English for all volunteers.
• Education for Education (EFE) was rolled out in 2010 in Bihar, providing volunteers with the opportunity to expand their own horizons through lessons in computer literacy in exchange for their service as volunteers for Pratham. About 170 computer centers are currently operational in Bihar, serving approximately 3000 volunteers.
• Since its beginnings in 2004, the Gyanshala Program for Rescued Child Laborers has scaled up across Sitmarhi and Kishanganj Districts, in 4 blocks known for their high proportion of child laborers. Gyanshala is a general education and development program, providing academic support, sports, and skill development courses to “returned” child laborers. The children have benefited immensely from this opportunity, with some children receiving admission to the prestigious Navodav government boarding school, and others passing Stds 10-12 in record time.

Government Partnerships in Bihar

Pratham has a strong track record of collaboration and partnership with Bihar’s state and local government. For the past 4 years, Pratham has participated in the program design and execution of Sankalp, Bihar’s flagship program to enroll all children in primary school, working to bring a focus on school quality and learning attainments to the government’s enrollment project. Through this partnership, Pratham has contributed to curriculum and material design, and the training of government teachers. Pratham has also helped to create a children’s newspaper, Bachpan, which continues to be used in schools across the state.