OVERVIEW

The number of children, youth and adults not attending schools or educational institutions because of COVID-19 has spiked globally. In India alone, an estimated 300 million learners across all age groups are out of school right now. Though temporary, school closures have a significant impact on students, even more so in vulnerable and underprivileged contexts. Fear about health, disruption in livelihoods and stoppage of normal life – all lead to anxiety in families and communities. Children are not immune to tensions around them.  In these times, it is important to engage children in activities that bring down stress, take minds off the crisis and gradually create an environment where learning can continue. Ensuring that their spirits are high and that they have opportunities for engagement and learning – is our first step to relief.

To enable this, we have launched a daily engagement activity titled Karona, Thodi Masti, Thodi Padhai (Do it: A little fun, a little study) that equips parents to continue their child's learning process even during school closure. Through a series of curated SMS and WhatsApp messages, we share text/video/audio content focused on hands-on learning activities. While the Masti videos engage students in art, music, and theatre, the Padhai ones focus on language, math, English and science learning. These messages are available 10 regional languages and English.

Every day, our field teams connect with children and families engaging them in fun-filled, project-based learning activities, and further strengthening our one-on-one connect at the grassroots.

UPDATES

So far, we have reached children in over 11,000 communities across 20 states in India through daily content.

The content is also being shared with more than 100 partners across the country and several collaborations are being explored across borders too!

We understand that these are difficult times, but we are striving to connect with children and communities by encouraging fun and sustained learning.

Here is a glimpse!

Aai, should I narrate you a story?

Gond Art for Earth Day

RESOURCES

You can access the video content on www.prathamopenschool.org

Please write to us at resources@pratham.org if you have any questions or suggestions

Pratham Education Foundation 
 45 minutes ago 
Pratham Education Foundation
Look forward to the Nudge Forum global edition feat. co-founder Dr Madhav Chavan as speaker in this amazing line up. Register now!Block your calendars this Independence Day as we invite you to the first ever non-stop 24 hour The/Nudge Forum (global edition), presented in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation and the Skoll Foundation. Diverse experts and stakeholders from across the globe including Nobel Laureate Dr. Abhijit Banerjee, economists Dr. Arvind Panagariya (former chairman NITI Aayog) and Hernando de Soto, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Dr. Devi Shetty (Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health), Reema Nanavaty (SEWA), Madhav Chavan (Pratham Education Foundation), Vinod Khosla, Desh Deshpande, and many more will come together to discuss India's development journey, the opportunities which lay ahead, and a blueprint for the way forward.

A great opportunity to listen, engage, and network. Register now: forum.thenudge.org/

#thenudgeforum #togetherforindia  ... See MoreSee Less
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Pratham Education Foundation 
 6 hours ago 
Pratham Education Foundation
Two hours to go! A panel discussion on 'Embracing the New Normal in Affordable Private Schools' featuring Dr Rukmini Banerji,CEO, Pratham. The panel will discuss creative solutions for teaching in #COVID times. Varthana

Click on the link to register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_v9pNzEMUT_ibQ83HrNZxCQ ... See MoreSee Less
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Pratham Education Foundation 
 18 hours ago 
Pratham Education Foundation
Dr Rukmini Banerji, CEO, Pratham will be part of a panel discussion on 'Embracing the New Normal in Affordable Private Schools.' The panel will discuss creative solutions for teaching in #COVID times. Varthana
Date: 4th August, 11:30 - 13:00 IST. 

Click on the link to register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_v9pNzEMUT_ibQ83HrNZxCQ ... See MoreSee Less
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Pratham Education Foundation 
 20 hours ago 
Pratham Education Foundation
Gajendra Kumar, a student in grade 3, is a resident of Kaspur village in Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh. He recently learned to make a paper camera at home and loves to flaunt it everywhere. Vijay, his father, is a happy man. "Gajendra never stayed at home for long. He is naughty and mischievous by nature. But the lockdown forced him to stay at home, and it made him quiet and reserved", he says. Vijay is a farmer. He could not study beyond school and feels that Gajendra should not follow the same path. 

Thanks to 'Karona - Thodi Masti, Thodi Padhai', Pratham's remote learning initiative, Vijay receives a fun-filled activity on his phone every day as an SMS. "My son enjoys completing these activities, and I extend my participation too", he says. "Initially, there was a problem with the network. But Gajendra found a place near the village community hall where the network coverage was good, and since then we receive an SMS every day." Vijay is happy that despite school closure, his son has access to learning.

Despite school closures, Gajendra and thousands of children like him are learning every day while having fun. Visit bit.ly/2BnzAVe to support their learning.
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#education #learning #remotelearning #Chhattisgarh #children #fun #activity #parents #community #LearnAtHome #learnfromhome ... See MoreSee Less
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Pratham Education Foundation 
 1 day ago 
Pratham Education Foundation
Schools might be closed, but #shiksha shouldn't be. It is even more crucial now to safeguard learning in the face of school closures. Let's ensure #shikshakiraksha by making remote learning accessible to all. Happy #RakshaBandhan! 
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#education #learning #remotelearning #schoolclosures #RakshaBandhan2020 #children #rakshabandhan2020 ... See MoreSee Less
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