Urban Learning Centers: Delhi
Urban Learning Center program runs in communities where there is a critical need for quality education. Learning Centers are established in places where it is possible to find space to start one, as well as get children who can pay a nominal fee. The programs in the center are designed in accordance with area-specific needs.
A learning center is usually a small building with about 4-5 rooms, 5 computers, and a library corner. Each learning center on average caters to around 150 to 200 children and is managed by a learning center in-charge and 7-8 subject-specific teachers. Delhi operates 21 urban learning centers benefitting over 5500 children through 341 units. A learning center conducts the following programs:
Preschool Program for the 3 to 5-year-old children.
Balvachan (Early literacy and numeracy program) for class I and II children.
Supplementary learning support for in school children from classes IV to VIII
Crash Program for children who cannot read and do basic arithmetic.
Digital Learning Course (DLC)
Vocational Classes like Stitching, Mehandi and Beauty
Learn Out of the Box Program in a few learning centers.
The teachers for all the programs are selected after a screening test and are then trained accordingly.
Very often parents relate going to school to be directly proportional to learning, which is not 100 % true. Thus, as a part of the Community Awareness Assessment Mela’s were organized around the learning centers. The main objective of these Mela’s was to make the parents aware about their child’s learning levels. About 24,000 children were tested in these Mela’s in front of their parents.
In order to encourage more open communication between parents and teachers as well as increase parental involvement in education, open houses were organized throughout the year. We believe in transparency. We are open to people interested in our programmes. Apart from donors, other people also visit our Programme. About 110 visitors and 50 volunteers from various parts of the globe and people in Pratham family visited the Learning centers.