Catch-up learning camp for children across India
Marking its 30th anniversary this year, Pratham conducted its biggest-ever catch-up learning camp, CAMaL (Combined Activities for Maximized Learning) Ka Camp, across 24 states and Union Territories. This large-scale learning initiative was aimed at helping children, especially those transitioning from Grade 5 to Grade 6, strengthen their foundational skills in reading and math so that they are better prepared for the new academic year.
Reach
states and Union Territories
Over
volunteers mobilised
More than
children reached
A Balloon of Hope in Every Galli
Watch the story of CAMaL Ka Camp unfold in the evocative voice of Neelesh Misra.
*The reach numbers mentioned in this video reflect the nine states and Union Territories where CAMaL Ka Camp 2025 was conducted in collaboration with P&G Shiksha.
What is CAMaL Ka Camp?
A major break in the academic calendar is the summer vacation (April–June), typically lasting one to two months. By adopting a ‘Start Early–Start Strong’ approach, this period offers an opportunity to reinforce foundational learning among children transitioning from primary to upper primary levels.
Structured, short-term programs during this time help bridge learning gaps, strengthen core academic skills, and ensure that children are well prepared to adapt to their new academic environment. Pratham’s CAMaL Ka Camp builds on this thought. It uses approaches like the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology, which begins instruction at each child’s current learning level—regardless of age or grade—to help them catch up quickly.
The goal is for all children participating in the camp to be able to read fluently with understanding, express their thoughts both orally and in writing, and develop strong analytical and math skills by the end of the program.
Math tool
Reading tool
CAMaL Ka Camp 2025
Students in Grades 5 and 6 were among the most vulnerable in 2024-25, having missed crucial foundational learning during the pandemic years of 2020-22. For example, according to ASER 2024, only 44.8% of Grade 5 children can read a Grade 2-level text. Similarly, just 26.5% of students can solve a three-digit division problem.
This year’s CAMaL Ka Camp was designed primarily for these children. Through interactive language and math activities, group games, storytelling sessions, and a variety of fun exercises, they were helped to learn faster and sustain the skills.
Volunteer-led effort rooted
in local engagement
Led entirely by volunteers, the initiative was deeply rooted in local engagement. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 encourages community participation to support learning, and CAMaL Ka Camp embodies this vision by fostering a collaborative learning environment.
Months before the camp began, volunteers were mobilised and trained to lead fun and engaging learning activities with the children in their villages, mohallas, and neighbourhoods. They also received an easy-to-use activity manual to help them plan and conduct sessions effectively.
As part of Pratham’s volunteer program, Education for Education (EfE), these volunteers got the opportunity to build their own skills through a digital readiness course. From learning to use Google tools like Maps, Lens, and Translate to exploring the basics of AI, the course offered the volunteers a valuable pathway to digital literacy—an essential skill in today’s world.
How was the camp conducted?
Week 1
Warm-up activities with children and a baseline assessment to evaluate the current learning levels.
Week 2-5
Followed by four weeks of instructional activities to teach and track children’s progress.
Week 6
Final week showcasing the results of their progress.
What happened at the camp
- The camp began with warm-up activities.
- These were followed by storytelling and discussions that led into writing activities. To make storytelling sessions more participative, volunteers got access to a repository of audio stories called the Kahani Train, available on an open platform.
- The focus then shifted to letters and words, with games like Bara-khadi enhancing learning. Each child created a comprehensive dictionary with words, meanings, sentences, and pictures.
- The camp concluded with math word problems.
Outcome
The impact has been encouraging and far-reaching with a 28-percentage point increase in the proportion of children who could read a Grade 2-level text, and a 24-percentage point increase in those who could solve division problems.
This scale and success were made possible with the governments, supporting volunteer mobilisation and conducting the camp locally. Some governments even integrated the summer camp into their academic calendar.
In essence, CAMaL Ka Camp 2025 emerged as a scalable and impact-oriented intervention that aligned with the goals of NEP 2020 and NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Bharat, giving children a strong start to the new academic year.
Stories from the ground
