ExperiencED Program
India's vast youth population of 371.4 million (2020) presents both opportunities and challenges, with barriers like limited access to higher education and rising unemployment affecting economic productivity. To address this, Shikshanganga engages youth in the social sector, particularly in education, through professional volunteering.
The ExperiencED program, a holistic and impact-driven initiative, operates at underserved schools across Maharashtra to deliver quality learning experience in the classrooms in the areas of Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Arts & Crafts, Financial Literacy & Socio-Emotional Learning to nurture leadership values and twenty-first-century skills and competencies.
The ExperiencED program addresses various challenges in the teaching-learning process by focusing on three key areas.
1) Classroom Learning Environment
2) Innovative and Experiential Instructions
3) Reflections and Student Wellbeing
After four years of study findings, we identified that skill development is a progressive and action-oriented process in the case of our students. Turning academic understanding into practical applications will be a potent strategy for helping students develop their skills.
Students were prepared for joyful learning through a learning-by-doing strategy created by trained facilitators of the organization using the facilitation mode of session delivery in the classroom.
ExperiencED comprises four distinct program components, each tailored to specific student requirements of the program.
- Facilitator Selections and Onboarding
- Facilitators Continuous Training and Capacity Building
- Facilitators Engagement with the Classroom
- Program Cycle Transition
We recruit passionate and compassionate youths to serve as facilitators for three months, working 4-5 hours each week, including training.
Selection of facilitators consists of three stages.
Selection of facilitators consists of three stages.
1) Expression Interest and Statement of Purpose
2) Teacher Leadership Attitude and Aptitude Test
3) In-Person or Virtual Reporting.
Following a rigorous selection procedure, we onboard youths as program facilitators.
Following onboarding, all facilitators attend weekly and biweekly capacity building training sessions to gain essential skills for the smooth delivery of learning spaces, such as understanding children, classroom culture, classroom management, session planning, classroom execution, growth monitoring, and incorporating values and competencies into the session.
These training courses also help facilitators develop professional leadership abilities. Peer-based and expert-led training sessions are key components of the curriculum.
After training, facilitators are placed in classrooms (grade 1 -10) for 3 to 3.5 months.
Facilitators conduct fully immersive and hands-on learning sessions with students as the core emphasis. The sessions cover domains such as literacy, mathematics, science, socio-emotional development, arts, and financial literacy, depending on the facilitators' preferences at the start of the session.
Creating a safe ,engaging enjoyable learning environment, instilling values and skills, and encouraging students to apply their learning in everyday life are essential beliefs and actions that each facilitator takes along the journey.
Leading the varied classroom as a compassionate leader sounds thrilling .
The most significant advantage that each facilitator receives upon finishing the program is the development of their professional leadership abilities. The facilitators hone their communication skills, courage, confidence, adaptability, problem-solving abilities, collaboration skills, technical proficiency, relationship-building, and networking skills throughout the program.
The culture of the organization has a significant impact on bringing together like-minded individuals from various sociocultural and intellectual backgrounds. One of the most significant benefits experienced by the participating facilitators is the building of a community.
Additionally, the organization's higher education and career readiness cell helps all of the alumni and participating youths get into higher education by securing admissions, scholarships, placement assistance, and other opportunities for the youth. Since our organization places a high priority on preparing the youth for the future, youths strongly prefer to get involved with it in order to make a positive social impact and develop their professional identities.
Journey So Far
We have reached about 6500 students from 21 schools in two cities.
Since skill development is an intensive procedure and the nation's education system fails to bridge the skills-industry demand gap, unemployment and zero economic productivity are the primary source of barrier in alevation of poverty.
Therefore, our primary impact strategy is to instill essential values, skills and competencies at very early stage which are required for the preparing students for the future.
This will undoubtedly require time, but it is vitally important to transform the learning process for students.