Apni Shala’s “Back to School” Campaign

“As I entered the classroom of Grade 4, I witnessed the warmest smiles and greetings. With a lot of curiosity, I asked how it felt for them to be back in school  after the pandemic? Their responses included “bohot acha lag raha hai”, “friends k saath tiffin khaane me mazza aa raha hai”, “padhne me bhi mazza aara hai aur khelne me bhi” (“feeling very good”, “happy to eat with my friends”, “feeling joyful while studying and playing”)”.

-    Abhijeet Dhurve, SEL Programmes Lead at Apni Shala

An entire generation of students has seen its education interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic with approximately 91% of students in 194 countries out of school due to nationwide lockdowns

(1) The immeasurable disruption to the lives of children around the world has been well documented, with over 33% of 5-13 year-olds and 50% of 14-18 year-olds in India reporting poor or very poor wellbeing

(2), and over 75% students reporting losses in learning

(3). As our students head Back to School in the new school year, an emphatic learning from the pandemic that educators are holding onto is that a high-quality education is one which promotes human wellbeing, and not only academic competencies of students

(4). This is how we can be more inclusive and compassionate, and build back better schooling systems for our students.

Our Response - 

Apni Shala is a Mumbai-based social impact organisation that works in the domain of Social Emotional Learning, with the objectives to build social and emotional  competencies  and promote the holistic development and wellbeing of students from government schools in L, M-East & M-West wards of Mumbai.

Apni Shala implements two flagship Social Emotional  Learning  (SEL)  programmes  with government schools in Mumbai: School SEL Programme and Project Khoj.

School SEL Programme: A year-long Social Emotional Learning programme for students in grades 1-9 in the government schools of Mumbai.

• Weekly SEL sessions with students (online/ in-person);

• Asynchronous Online Engagement through activities on WhatsApp groups;

• Periodic awareness- and skills-based engagements with teachers and families of students;

Khoj: A model educational initiative for  SEL-integrated  Schooling,  implemented  in  partnership with a government school in Mumbai.

• Apni Shala's role in this partnership is to deliver SEL-integrated education (entire teaching-learning operations) that brings together academic, physical and social emotional development of the students enrolled in Limbuni Baug Mumbai Public School.
• Community Development initiatives through active participation of community members in the School  Management Committee, periodic caregiver engagements, and awareness and skill-building programs.

The funds and the materials would be utilized for the above mentioned projects.

Our Appeal:

Apni Shala has been building children’s social and emotional competencies since 2013 through modalities such as art, expressive writing, theatre, videos, songs, group discussions and games. These modalities support students in expressing themselves in the classroom and in working towards their wellbeing. As well-wishers, supporters, and custodians of our children’s learning and wellbeing, we request you to support Apni Shala to raise funds for the procurement of materials that contribute to the learning process of our students so that they can be the best version of themselves.

References: 

• https://www.unicef.org/india/stories/back-school-and-learning#:~:text=On%20this%20World%20Children's%20Day,continue%20learning%20and%20having%20fun&text=The%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic%20has,286%20million%20children%20in%20India.

• https://thebastion.co.in/covid-19/social-and-emotional-learning-can-help-indian-schools-deal-with-the-mental-impacts-of-covid-19/

• https://www.news18.com/news/education-career/76-of-indian-students-faced-learning-l osses-during-pandemic-unicef-4474373.html

Note: All the donations  towards this campaign is eligible for Indian Tax Exemption