The journey continues: learning doesn’t stop because schools are closed

When schools closed early due to the current global health crisis, the Education initiative was troubled most– the intervention had just got off the ground one month previously. Moreover, Himmotthan knew that keeping children out of school for months meant setbacks in their learning and development. This was a serious issue, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, who already achieved less on average than their better-off companions. Himmotthan through volunteers and para teachers swung into quick action. Beginning the first week of April, several open community classrooms were set up across project villages in six districts so students who didn’t have smartphones could be taught for two hours each in the morning and evening. At the same time, 150 government teachers of Kotabag block in Nainital at the foothills of Middle Himalayas, supported by Himmotthan volunteers, came together to create a WhatsApp group to engage rural children in activities such as Early Literacy, Numeracy, Arts and Crafts and Physical Literacy with emphasis on learning improvement, through audio-visual stories and poems, asking questions and encouraging interaction, as well as organizing story-telling, poetry recitation, painting and arts and crafts competitions to help students express their feelings. These activities fulfill Himmotthan’s project objectives as well as help map children’s learning outcomes during this lockdown period. Himmotthan team also focused on building teacher capacity using platforms like Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook. They also hosted a series of workshops: children’s literature exponent and winner of the 2019 ‘Big Little Book Award’, Prabhat, and Uday Kirola conducted a session on the need for books in their ‘mother tongue’ for children in the primary section; Ambarish Ray, National Convener, RTE Forum, held a Zoom session on RTE during COVID; Shiv Prasad Semwal, CEO, SSA, hosted a session on teachers’ engagement during COVID, Parag’s Nitu Singh held sessions on Library Management, and Reading Abilities for Teachers. Alongside, Himmotthan’s education team also encouraged children to cultivate a reading habit during Lockdown. The importance of mental health during these stressful times was not overlooked – in collaboration with the Institute of Human Behavior & Allied Sciences, the Himmotthan team organized a ‘National Seminar on Mental Health during COVID’ for both teachers and students.

Usefull Youtube Links



Physical Literacy Sessions

01-Physical Literacy Session- Agility


02-Physical Literacy Session- Agility


03-Full body workout


04-Upper body workout


05-Lower body workout


06-Agility


07-Full body workout


08-Upper body workout


09-Lower body workout


10-Agility


11-Full body workout


12-Upper body workout


13-Lower body workout


14-Agility


15-Full body workout


16-Upper body workout


Himmotthan Head Office

193, Vasant Vihar, Phase-2

Behind Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School

District-Dehradun

Uttarakhand, India - 248006

Contact Number : (0135)- 2760728, 2761796


Himmotthan WATSAN Office

41, Vasant Vihar, Phase-2

District-Dehradun

Uttarakhand, India - 248006

Contact Number : (0135)- 2762966


Himmotthan Regional Offices
1. Kumaun Region-Almora

(Mohalla Talla Galli, Jakhan Devi, Almora, Uttarakhand India, 263609)

2. Garhwal Region Office- Chamoli

Near Petrol Pump, Gopeshwar,District Chamoli, Uttarakhand, India

3. Garhwal Region Office- Jadipani

Gram Saud, Jadipani, Chamba Block, District Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India

 
4. Himmotthan Society/Tata Trusts PMU Leh

C/o Advocate Otsal Wangdus near Postal Colony
Housing Colony Leh - 194101 (Ladakh), India
Tel: 01982-253553

 
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