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Keywords
Resource Group, Resource Centre, Rural, Urban, Toys, Books, Learning Aids, Teaching Aids, Training, Workshops. Early Childhood, Mathematics, Science, Environmental Science, Language, Arts, Craft
Geographical Location
Bangalore, Karnataka
Languages
Kannada, English, Hindi
Objective/Mission/Goals
Sutradhar was started in 1995 as a non-profit trust to improve the quality of education for children. The focus at Sutradhar is the use of media in educating children. By "media" we mean toys, games, storybooks, folk toys, teaching aids as well media such as puppetry and storytelling that help children learn. Sutradhar believes that a large variety of play materials allows children to learn concepts and make connections - the foundations of early learning. Sutradhar brings together some of the best innovations in education from across India and makes these resources available at its centre. It also has a special focus on the young child, and on working towards systemic change - through teacher development, documentation and dissemination, research and advocacy.
Work Description
The center: The heart of Sutradhar is a retail outlet and documentation cell where learning resources selected from over 120 groups are offered to parents and teachers. Sutradhar staffs assist a cross-section of visitors who drop by with different learning needs and help them make the right choice. Visitors include educators working in formal, non-formal and special schools, non-profit organizations, government organizations, and parents, including parents of children with special needs. The centre also aims at understanding the needs of different user groups, identifying the lacunae that exist in the availability of quality material that teachers find useful; and design and develop materials to fill this gap. Designs for an early learning kit, special needs children, math materials, and materials with an Indian idiom have been taken up this way.
Documentation and dissemination: To bring about change in the system is a challenge. But over the years we have evolved a range of activities to meet our objectives. Documentation is one aspect that we hope would be useful to funders, policy makers and other non-profit organizations. We have documented 25 unique government school improvement efforts that have been made across the country. We have also collated the following reports - A study of Anganwadis in Bangalore, 2002; The Young Child in Karnataka: A Status Report, 2004. We also run the Sutradhar Features Service, which promotes writing on education in the press.
Fingertips: In the year 1999, Sutradhar undertook to compile "Fingertips" - a child resource directory for Bangalore, a first of its kind in the country. The directory aimed at making child-related services in Bangalore better known and utilized. Fingertips has over 400 entries, organized in seven sections, and provides a comprehensive overview of services available in the areas of Child development, Education, Health, Disability, Recreation and Support services. It also includes a listing of Help-lines. Sutradhar has also brought out the second web edition of Fingertips.
Teacher Development: Sutradhar offers teacher development workshops for NGOs serving underprivileged children in Bangalore. The training programs focus on building the capacities of teachers and field staff working in preschool and non-formal education. Workshops have been held on language, math, games, the creative use of teaching aids, the pedagogical and therapeutic uses of toys for special needs, puppetry and storytelling, sexuality education.
FORCES: The forum for Creche and Childcare Services is a national level advocacy network committed to securing the rights of the underprivileged child, 0-6 years. Sutradhar initiated the Karnataka chapter of FORCES in 2001. The network has about 15 members. These include resource centers and field based groups; working in education, child labor, disability and health, working in both rural and urban settings, with children as well as women and the community. FORCES activities include research, documentation, training and advocacy. Efforts are currently on to improve the nutrition and educational status of anganwadis in urban Bangalore.
Resources Available
- Training Workshops
- Educational materials for children, particularly up to 8 years
- Toys
- Books for children and teachers
- Early Learning Kit for balwadis / anganwadis
- Fingertips: an online child resource directory for Bangalore
- Reports and publications: Study of anganwadis in Bangalore; Status Report on the Young child in Karnataka; Improving Government Schools: what has been tried and what works
- Detailed profiles of 40 groups working in early childhood issues in Bangalore / Karnataka
- Chrysalis: a manual for a life skills education program
Contact Information
Director
Sutradhar
59/1, 10 A Main, 3 Cross
Indiranagar Stage 2
Bangalore 560038
Phone: (080) 2521 5191, 2528 8545
Website Links
www.sutradhar.com
www.fingertips.sutradharindia.org