E-Base Library: Of Reading Assessments and Library Cards
With immense help from two wonderful ladies, Divya Nawale and Monica Szczupider who joined us in Pench this month, we have gotten through the bulk of our work.
Our volunteers, Divya (left) and Monica (right) helping with registrations of students.
This month, we began work on our reading program baseline study. Before we open up the library to our students in Pench, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, we wished to determine the as is state of affairs. Our focus remained on two major components of the reading program- the fluency of reading and content knowledge. The students in the region of Pench grapple with similar problems in the education sphere as those in other remote locations in many parts of India.
The Wonder that is Science!: Workshop by TIFR
To introduce students in schools at the Karmajhiri side of the Pench Tiger reserve to simple scientific concepts, professors from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) conducted a hand- on entertaining workshop.
Mr .Surendra Kulkarni of TIFR has been our partner since the last two years. IT is thanks to him, we have been able to bring to these children such a wonderful session on the wonders of science.
The Trees that make up my Forest: Workshop by Pooja Choksi
Trees come in different shapes and sizes. They are those that may be planted by our city managements or those that stubbornly firmly planted themselves in favourable nooks. They sway above us and temporarily offer us shade on a hot summer’s day. Their flowers and fruits colour our streets red and blue in spring. And, in monsoon, you give a million thanks to it when you forget your umbrella and need to take cover under the giant canopy it so beautifully provides.
Learning about the value of our forests.
The Organic Diaries: Slow and Steady does it!
This year has been a real test for our plants. After a few pleasantly wet days after sowing, we were back to the dry spell.
Needless to say, the patch didn’t fare too well (to add to our troubles, we’ve been having trouble with the hand pump in the school).
The patch that appears to have braved the terrible monsoon.
Making Teaching Engaging: Workshop on science education by Curiouscity Science Education
Education in short staffed government schools is riddled by a string of problems, the most important being the lack of use of engaging methods in class.
Understanding the functioning of a pendulum using just kitchen items like potatoes, tomatoes and onions!
The Organic Diaries: Round Two
We’ve returned to organic gardening once again this year, but only in a different school. This year, Kohka Middle School has taken it on themselves to go organic.
Plowing the patch for his peers to sow.
Churning the Earth: Workshop by Pooja Choksi
Have you ever picked up the wrapper of your favourite cookies or chips to understand what really went into making it?
This week our students at the E-Base did just this. Very often, we, as consumers, are unaware of the impact of our choices. Be it in the form of our carbon footprint or fueling the business of mining precious elements of the Earth.
Pooja elucidating the meaning of having a product that travels endless number of kilometres to reach a customer. (Image: Jash Koradia)
The many faces of Pench
Pench is beautiful throughout the year.
How do we vouch for that?
Here is a selection of images from the time we have spent in this enchanting forest over the last three years. We are sure you will agree with us by the the time you reach the last photo.
In spring, Pench is abuzz with insects, birds chirping and the lovely Mahua in full bloom. The light smell of of the forest is carried about by the gentle breeze. This is a wonderful time when the summer heat is just beginning to set in.
Parakeets perched atop the Flame of the Forest.
On the tiger’s trail: Workshop by Pooja Choksi
Even though the students in the villages of Dahoda and Kolitmara live around the Pench Tiger Reserve, very few of them have actually seen a tiger or know about its behaviour.
E-Base Library: Closing at 136% funding and cartons of donated books!
We made it to 136% funding on our crowdfunding campaign. Although we didn’t reach 200% funding, we will still be setting up two libraries on the two ends of the Pench Tiger Reserve.
To thank our online supporters, here’s a shout out to Arindam Baruah, Jayshree Mishra Tripathi, Swati Choksi, Archi Varma, Monisha Padur, Bharat Sarda, Jash Koradia, Azad Oommen, Kunal Shah, Vinit Phatak, Maithili Parekh Singh, Amrita Rathi, Nikita Chatterjee, Dina Ginwalla, Priyanka Gupta, Varun Darji, Pranav Vissanji, Jeyashree Vaidyanathan, Devang Rawat, Nabeel Najeeb, Divya Nawale, India Impex, Simone Dinshaw, Dr. Kamal Singh, Jasdeep Oberoi, Rahul Advani, Varshini Neeti Mohan, Shri Sajjan Gupta Trust, Ruchit Kapadia, Shegufta Alam, Sanjay Gupta, Karina Daruwala, Sujit Sahu, Aditya Sanghvi, BandanJot Singh, Mahesh Multani, Rajesh Mishra, Karan Mulchandani, Rajesh Upadhyay, Ashok Ramdham, Kinjal Shah and Vaidehi Patel.
Our libraries will have myriad number of benefits for our students.
