Education Matters

KALPAVRIKSHAM . the centre for sustainable learning

KALPAVRIKSHAM was created in September 1989 to take the vision of Katha forward, into areas of education for equality and excellence.

Its main aims are to -

• To foster quality education for children from nonliterate families that is relevant and fun
• To develop teaching/learning materials that see the story as the basis, for fostering learning skills and knowledge that sharpen the inner imperative to excel in our children; that will make classroom teaching rememberable, relevant, understandable.
• To find, foster, and applaud good teaching, through inservice and preservice training.

These goals crystallized in the development of the following areas of activities, leading toward achievement of goals we have set ourselves as part of Katha's CHALLENGE 2010 .

Katha KHAZANA . A learning centre that works with and in a large slum cluster in Delhi . Starting in 1990 with 5 children, we today work with 87 communities in Delhi and in Arunachal Pradesh, providing quality education for more than 6000 children. Many of the children, working to support a family in many case, have stayed with us and now are in colleges and in gainful employment. With a special curriculum and syllabi that is innovative and relevant; a creative pedagogy to match. Straddling the democratic education and education for democracy spaces, the lifelong learning skills help students shift emphasis from the Me to the We, from mass cultures to critical thinking cultures, from passive tolerance to active tolerance. Our pedagogy shapes and is shaped by the power of story, storytelling. Our motto: Uncommon education for a larger good.

• KATHASHALA: A learning centre for children
• KITES: Katha's IT Initiatives
• SHAKTI: Centre for economic resurgence in women. Includes (SHE) 2 , a community revitalization initiative

KATHASHALA

• Kathashala K-12. Creche
• Katha Community Schools . K-12.
• Katha Lisu Schools in Arunachal Pradesh. Special schools for children of the Lisu tribal people.
• Katha Student Support Centre . For the children who have moved from our centre to formal schools and other students in the community. Remedials and tutorials.
• Katha Information technology and eCommerce School. KITES.
• KALA NIVAS . The Four Arts Centre: Media. Theatre. Painting. Sports @ Katha Josh!
• COMMUNITY LIBRARY and Inducement Programmes.

COMPUTERS & KATHA. Computers came into the Katha schools in 1995 with a hand-me-down. Since then we have grown steadily, keeping pace with student interest and growing expertise. In 2000, a formal certification programme was started. It vies with the best programmes in the country with the only difference being that it was in a slum cluster. KITES hones Katha's work in the community, and strengthens this further through the use of various leading edge IT tools and strategies. Entrepreneurship, leadership. Job shadowing; placement; intensive, professional learning spaces. Diploma in small business management. IT as a tool for community revitalization and economic resurgence.