Category Archives: Black nav

NEET’s Community Library

NEET’s Community Library

Our Beneficiaries

NEET’s Community Library supports children from marginalised slum communities in Guwahati, Assam. These children, mainly from low-income backgrounds, attend government or low-cost private schools and lack adequate academic support at home. We conduct the following:

Beneficiaries for community library cum resource center

After school academic classes

 

We conduct after school academic classes on weekdays from 2 pm to 5 pm on Language, Maths, Social Science and Science with our library regulars.

Our trained language educators teach the Assamese and English Bridge courses alongwith school curriculum. Maths and Science are taught by a part-time teacher through child-friendly pedagogy. We regularly assess our children.

 

Library activities

Our trained library educators conduct library activities like read-alouds, skits, dance and music, art and book talks every Saturday.

Workshop and Events

  • We organise annual summer and winter workshops on Art, Mime, Theater, Dance, Poetry, singing etc. Till date we have organised 5 summer and winter workshops in NEET’s Community Library which have been attended by more than 500 children.
  • We  celebrate  State, National and International festivals likes Bihu, Independence Day and Republic Day, Yoga Day, etc
  • We organise interactive sessions with well-known personalities poets, authors, sportsmen, singer, dancer, artisans) to interact with children.

Community Engagement

  • We organise an  annual event “Antorongo Alap” to showcase children’s learnings from the summer workshop.
  • We conduct Parent-Teacher Meetings every quarter to build a strong partnership between the students, parents and library resource persons.
  • We conduct community visits every month to remain connected with our community members.

Library Programme

Library Programme

What We Do

The library programme supports both government and private schools in setting up libraries and conducting regular library sessions withchildren through a library curriculum. We conduct library sessions featuring read-alouds, book talks, word games and theater activities in schools. The library sessions enable children to engage critically with text and communicate their thoughts during discussions and activities preceding and succeeding the read-alouds and book talks.

Library Program Goal was to:

  • To support schools in setting up libraries and conducting library sessions with children.
  •  Encourage children to develop expression through creative exercises and engage critically with text to communicate their thoughts.
  •  It provides school students access to age-specific, quality children’s literature and create opportunities for readers to access and       engage with these resources.
  •  Planned Library sessions are conducted to facilitate development of understanding about literacy and it’s connection with speaking, reading, writing and lived experience by providing an open, fear-fear environment.

Our Beneficiaries

Children and teachers of both government and private schools.

Chronicles of our Library Program:

Our flagship library programme in school was initiated in 2017 with the children of Class VI and VII of Kamrup Academy HS School. In 2018, we provided support in setting up a Community Library in Balikuchi Majalia Vidyalaya, a Government school in Nalbari. By 2019, the library programmes ran in Classes III to VIII of 5 Government schools, 4 in Kamrup and 1 in Nalbari district of Assam. By 2020, we set up 2 classroom libraries, in Latasil LP School and Uzan Bazar Govt. High School. In the same year, we extended this programme to 6 government schools but from our experiences of working with children we realised that they lack language skills and hence we converted the library programme to language learning programme. 

Language Learning Programme

Language Learning Programme

What We Do

  • To strengthen language skills in children of 16 schools in 3 clusters of Kamrup(M) & 2 schools in 2 clusters of Sonitpur district.
  • To strengthen teacher’s theoretical and pedagogical knowledge on language teaching from 16 schools of 3 clusters of Kamrup(M) & 2 schools in 2 clusters of Sonitpur district.

 

How We Approach:

  1. Teacher support programme through:

    • Onsite demonstration classes focused on child friendly pedagogy in project schools
    • Engagement with teachers in workshops, CRC and VTFs meetings
    • Stagewise teacher development programme

STAGE1

a.Discuss challenges faced in teaching language.

b. Demonstration of child friendly pedagogy from our specially designed lesson plans based on the SCERT Textbooks in the presence of teachers.

STAGE2

a. Sharing of lesson plans along with its TLM with teachers. 

b. Discussion and handholding support in conducting child friendly classes.

c. Demonstration of  specific pedagogy that requires reinforcement.

d. Co-creating TLM with teachers.

STAGE3

a. Observation of teacher demonstrating of teacher’s classroom practices.

b. Conduct classes independently by using child friendly pedagogy.

c. Creates child friendly  TLM.

Chronicles of our Language Learning Programme

Implementation:

 

(i)  On-site school demonstration classes: Our trained educators regularly visit 18 schools, working intensively with 6 schools thrice a week and 12 schools once or twice a week. We support 41 teachers with 4 guiding documents and have conducted approx. 1038 demonstration classes to enhance language learning pedagogy.

(ii) Academic sessions in CRCC Meetings: We conduct academic sessions on language learning, teaching and discuss different pedagogical strategies that can be used to teach language effectively. Since last year we have conducted 4 academic sessions in the CRCC meeting of Panbazar and Uzan Bazar Cluster.

(iii) Volunteer Teacher Forum meetings: we have initiated a volunteer teacher forum for our teachers of our project schools to discuss challenges faced in teaching language and create language TLM. We conducted 2 VTF Meetings this year; in the first meeting with 9 teachers we discussed their challenges in teaching English in a mutli-lingual classroom.  In the second meeting we supported teachers in creating big books.

(iv)Workshop: we have conducted the following workshops with teachers of our project schools  to build their theoretical knowledge and pedagogical skills on language teaching and learning

  • Teaching English Bridge course: 2 days workshops on 27th and 28th March, 2023 which was participated by 37 participants from 21 schools. We discussed how students learn language and demonstrated different pedagogical tools to promote the 3 skills of oral language development reading and writing.
  • Teaching English at primary level: We launched the LLP on 17th Oct. in Sonitpur District with this workshop which was participated by 21 government teachers from 20 government schools. We discussed the 4 skills of English learning, objectives of teaching English and demonstrated child friendly pedagogy on the basis of SCERT  learning outcomes.

ECCE Programme

Early Childhood Care and
Education

Start Date: April 1, 2021

OBJECTIVES

To provide equal access to free and qualitative education and a daily hot meal to marginalised children.

APPROACH

  • A safe & secure, child friendly place equipped with activities, play materials and stimulating print rich environment.
  • A school readiness programme to enhance children’s 5 developmental domains: cognitive, socio-emotional, language, physical, aesthetic and creative development. Our programme lays the foundation for the development of reading, writing and number work.

Chronicles of our ECCE Programme

Implementation:

  1. Regular classes: The Pre-primary school caters to 34  children so far between the ages of 3 to 6 years. We conduct classes 5 days a week from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and meals are served regularly after classes.
  2. Plans and activities: Flexible classes so that our lesson plans and activities can accommodate large groups for singing and storytelling and smaller groups for activities and individual play.
  3. Trained Educators: Classes are conducted by trained ECCE teachers who implement pre-designed lesson plans.
  4. Assessment: Regularly assess children’s progress every three months to document their development.
  5. Parents Teacher Meetings: Held twice a month, with 7 meetings conducted so far.
  6. Community Visits: Over 30 visits have been conducted as part of the program.
  7. Student participation in Events: Students participate in different events like -Rongali Bihu, Teachers’ Day, Childrens’ Day and Christmas Day celebrations. They also participated in the art & craft, drama, dance workshops during the Summer Camp.

Teacher Education Programme

Teacher education
Programme

OBJECTIVES

  • To offer capacity enhancement workshops to both government and private school teachers in language teaching learning and creating vibrant libraries

aPPROACH

We design and implement capacity enhancement programmes for teachers and employees of grassroot educators through:

  • Workshops: We offer workshops on teaching language: (i) Teaching English in a multilingual classroom, (ii) Teaching Assamese language at foundational stage, (iii)Teaching English at Elementary Level and (iv) Creating vibrant libraries.
  • Click to learn more.
  • Exposure Visits: We arrange exposure visits to our library to give educators a glimpse of the processes and functioning of a vibrant library.  Click to learn more.
  • Mentorship Programme: We provide mentorship support after conducting workshops in the form of onsite support visits and online monthly meetings.
  • . Click to learn more.

NEET designs and implements capacity enhancement programs for educators through workshops, exposure visits and mentorship programs on teaching language, setting up vibrant libraries and critical thinking.

APPROACHES-

I. Workshops-

. English Accelerated learning Programme: This programme helps teachers to teach children with exposure to English pick up the basic skills of speaking, reading, writing English within a span of 6 to 8 months. By providing participants with a package of activities, worksheets and curricular materials like flashcards, description cards and word charts, demonstrating its usages, enables them to teach basic English skills. 

. Assamese Accelerated Learning Programme: This programme helps teachers in teaching children the basics of Assamese in the form of a bridge course. By exploring the current theories of language learning, it enables the participants to create contextual curricular materials like stories, worksheets, flashcards based on the balanced approach of language learning. It helps them teach language as a process of meaning making that takes into account children’s immediate surroundings. 

.Teaching SCERT English Text-books at Primary level:  This programme focuses on three critical aspects of teaching English – objectives of English teaching and learning, pedagogy of English language and assessment of English language pedagogy. By demonstrating the usages of different curricular materials: picture-books, story-boards, flash cards and enabling participants to create curricular materials and detailed lesson plans on the chapters in English SCERT Text-books between Class I-VIII, it helps teachers teach in a child-friendly and learner centric manner.

. Teaching SCERT Assamese Text-books at Lower Primary Level:  This programme focuses on the objective of Assamese teaching and learning, pedagogy of Assamese language and assessment of Assamese language pedagogy. By demonstrating the usages of curricular materials like picture-books, description cards, charts, flash cards for SCERT Assamese textbooks of class I- V, it enables participants to create them and teach children in an effective manner.

.Creating Vibrant Libraries: This workshop provides participants with philosophical perspectives and pedagogical support to enable them to set up vibrant libraries that encourage meaningful engagement with books and reading practices. 

. Creative expressions and critical thinking: This workshop designed on the educational ideas of Paulo Freire, enables teachers to develop skills of creative self expression, confidence to express one’s ideas in a group and problem solving skills.

II. Exposure Visits: We arrange exposure visits to our library to give educators a glimpse of the processes and functioning of a vibrant library.

III. Mentorship Programme: We provide mentorship support after conducting workshops with  grassroot organizations in the form of onsite support visits and online monthly meetings. Through the onsite visits, we observe the implementation of their learning from the workshops, discuss their challenges in teaching and course correct their teaching methodologies. Through regular online monthly meetings we discuss the progress of their implementation and the forms in which we can support their language programme.

IMPLEMENTATION

WORKSHOPS:

  1. Teaching English in a Multilingual Classroom: The purpose of this course is to develop the foundational skills of speaking, reading and writing in English which will bridge the English learning gap of the learners. The course will help teachers and educators to teach children who have low exposure to English but have learnt to read and write in their mother tongue. Till now we have conducted 5 workshops on teaching English in a mulit-lingual classroom with a total of 155 Participants. Participants from 15 NGOs along with 19 Private and 60 Government school teachers were present in these workshops.
  2. Teaching Assamese language at Foundational Level: The course provides a theoretical  framework around effective Assamese language teaching and learning along with a structured view on how to teach Assamese at Foundational Level. Till now we have conducted 2 workshops on Teaching Assamese language at Foundational Level with 44 participants. Participants from 7 Organizations and 20 government teachers were present in the workshops.
  3. Teaching English at Elementary Level: The course provides a theoretical  framework around effective English language teaching and learning along with a structured view on how to teach English in Elementary Level. Till now we have conducted 2 workshops on Teaching English at Elementary Level with 42 participants. Participants from one NGO and 42 government teachers were present in the workshops.
  4. Creating Vibrant Libraries: The course develops participants’ understanding of quality children’s literature and builds their capacity for curating an interesting, age and context appropriate collection. So far we have conducted 4 workshops on creating Vibrant Libraries with 87 participants. 31 participants from NGOs, 9 Government teachers and 23 Private School teachers participated in these workshops.

EXPOSURE VISIT

Team members from numerous organisations like- Ecosystem Protection Trust (ESPT), Pratham books, Sishu Sarothi, IDeA the ant, NCHD & IT, Snehajori, Pathikrit visit NEET’s Community Library to observe our work with children and teachers.

MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

 Through onsite visits and online meetings we provide mentorship support to 17 teachers from 5 organisations in developing contextual TLM and worksheets.

  1. Refresher English Bridge Course: we conduct 2 Refresher English Bridge Course With team Pathikrit and team ESPT.
  2. Need Assessment Visit: Our team visited AsHA, Injot and SEDO to build an understanding on the specific needs of each organisation to provide support tailored to each organisation’s area of interest.
  3. Refresher workshops on teaching English in a Multilingual Classroom: 2 workshops conducted so far with5 team members of SEDO and 8 team members of AsHA. In both the workshops we demonstrated specific pedagogies and observed the challenges they faced while implementing course’s learning with the children of their project areas.

Community Library Cum Resource Center

Community Library Cum
Resource Center

What We Do

NEET’s community library cum resource center is an informal space for children, youth and community members to come together to engage and express through their heads, heart and hands.

Approach We engage with our stakeholders through :

  1. Regular Library sessions which includes read-alouds, book talks, and other activities to develop children’s interest in reading
  2. Different events, activities, workshops.
  3. Regular after school academic support.
  4. Community engagement programs.
Beneficiaries for community library cum resource center

Our Goals for the Programme

  • To develop children’s abilities of critical and analytical thinking by engaging them in various creative activities.
  • To provide after school academic support to children by teaching them subjects like Maths, Science, English, Assamese, Social Science through child- centric pedagogy .
  • To provide equal access to quality educational materials like books, magazines, art and craft materials to marginalised children.
  • To organise workshops, interactive sessions on art, theatre, dance, music, mime and provide children, youth and community members with a space where they can explore  their inner world of imagination.