Literacy has the power to end the cycle of poverty in India
Working in collaboration with governments, communities, parents, teachers and volunteers, Pratham focusses on addressing gaps in the Indian education system. The clarity of our mission—“every child in school and learning well”—drives our focusses.
It all started in the slums of Mumbai...
In 1994, with support from UNICEF and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Dr. Madhav Chavan and Farida Lambay set out to end the vicious cycle of poverty. They set up self-sustaining Balwadis (preschools), which provided remedial education “bridge” classes for primary school students who were lagging behind their peers.
Working in collaboration with governments, communities, parents, teachers and volunteers, these days we focus on innovative interventions to address gaps in the education system. The clarity of our mission—“every child in school and learning well” —drives our focus to make an impact on the lives of India’s children and extends from our leadership to our volunteers in the field.
Pratham AUS is volunteer run, non-profit, charitable organisation. It is registered with the ACNC and ATO with a DGR 1 status.
The Pratham AUS Vision
Our vision is to end the cycle of poverty in India by providing access to education for every child.
Pratham has developed several innovative programs responding to the needs of different cohorts of children and young adults.
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Pratham AUS has decided to focus on its Second Chance program that caters for the needs of girls who have had to drop out of school for reasons beyond their control.
Where and How We Work
Pratham sites have been established in 21 states of India. Its Second Chance program currently operates in 9 states.
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Since 2015 Pratham has been developing digital platforms for hybrid learning. Learning applications are being continuously added to Pratham’s Open School YouTube channel and to Google Playstore.
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Pratham’s proven methodologies for citizen-led learning have been adopted by several countries in Asia and Africa.
Develop Innovative Programs
Pratham uses outcome-driven programs that reconfigure teaching methodologies and challenge ineffective learning mechanisms. Our strategies focus on results, accountability, continuous learning and improvement.
Advocate Change
Pratham’s willingness to take risks, adapt to changing circumstances and look beyond our programs gives us leverage to create broader change. We amplify our impact by sharing information with other nonprofits and advocating for large-scale policy changes.
Build Scalable Models
Pratham’s low-cost learning models are rigorously tested and evaluated so they can be easily replicated on a larger scale to provide quality education to every child.
Inspire Action
We engage parents, teachers and government to make learning a community effort. Local volunteers are vetted, trained and monitored to help implement learning interventions at the grassroots level using Pratham’s high-quality teaching materials.
What Makes Us Different?
Large Scale Change
Pratham works in collaboration with the Indian government, local communities, parents, teachers, volunteers, and civil society members. Our programs are implemented on a large scale to reach as many children as possible, and provide sustainable long term results.
Results & Accountability
Testing tools are implemented to ensure the learning levels of children are always improving, and each child is provided the right education for their learning level. Our testing tools frquently assess the impact of our programs, driving reporting and accountability.
Innovation
Pratham’s teaching strategies break down traditional tactics and challenge the status quo in our schools. We pioneered positives changes in schooling and learning that has had a major impact on national education policy discussions.
Pratham Awards & Achievements
Pratham has been recognized internationally by prestigious awards and prominent organizations for both the quality of our innovations and for our extensive impact.
