Problem Statment
Today, children from low-income communities in India, are facing adversities that have long term psychological, emotional and physical effects. (The World Health Organisation defines this as “Failure to Thrive”).
Additionally, there is lack of life-skills, character building and social emotional learning tools in low income schools and communities to equip them with a way to better deal with these adversities and work towards a sustainable future. Though efforts are being made to increase the reach of academics, there is very little focus on enhancing this education to include teaching of the necessary life skills and social emotional learning. This manifests in the child’s ability, not just to perform academically in the classroom, but also to think critically, make informed decisions and negotiate risks and challenges, reducing the quality of their lives and their productive participation in the society.
Strategy
Our youth leaders, guide, facilitators intervenes in government, low-income aided schools, after school programs and shelters through teaching a formally structured art based curriculum that focuses on social and emotional learning, life skill development and character strengthening among children. The curriculum is an amalgamation of life skills and social emotional learning such that every session children can practice their learning through the process of art.