Last year, we wrote about Tenzin Dhargyal and how he and group of committed teachers at the TCV School, Suja, Himachal Pradesh were translating stories to Tibetan on StoryWeaver. The passionate educators have till date translated over 60 books to Tibetan on the platform. Tenzin had written to us about how he and his colleagues were keen to print some of the books and place them freely in libraries and reading rooms across the region. 

Last week we were overjoyed to receive this photograph from Tenzin!

We wrote to him and asked him to tell us more about the project. Over to Tenzin! 

"We have printed more than 5 thousand copies of two books which will be distributed freely in all the Tibetan school libraries and reading rooms in the region. Students will have full access to these books in the libraries and already love the books very much. In fact, the more books they have, the happier they are to see and read them! Teachers and librarian can also plan and do activities with the books. My colleagues and I are also planning to create our own stories on StoryWeaver and there is much  interest in exploring ways in which we can use the platform. If you look at our Tibetan section, there are 68 books now. We started with just one!  Thank you for adding the Tibetan language to StoryWeaver." 

It's wonderful to see how educators and language champions are using StoryWeaver to create a repository of stories in languages the children they work with are fluent in! It's especially rewarding to see them find ways to take these translations into classrooms!

If you're using StoryWeaver in your classroom and have a story to share write to us at [email protected] and we'll feature you on our blog!

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APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TILL NOVEMBER 10, 2017

In keeping with our mission of putting 'a book in every child's hand', Pratham Books is inviting applications for a STEM Library Grant. With an aim to ignite curiosity in children, we want to give away 200 STEM Classroom Libraries comprising of books that explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects and emotional intelligence.

 

Why STEM?

Sometimes, Maths and Science can be daunting for children. However, when concepts are presented in a fun and engaging manner children find it easier to grasp and retain them. There is a dearth of simple, informative books for young readers and access to these books will help children in their learning journey. Pratham Books has developed a special set of books that will enrich the child’s current curriculum and be a useful classroom aid for the teachers.

The books cover a diverse range of topics in Maths, Science, Technology, Environment, and Emotional intelligence. Some of our colourful books are: How Far is Far (estimation of distances), I Spy (subtraction), Bonda and Devi (robots), Ammachi’s Amazing Machines (simple machines and their use), Autumn, Monsoon, Spring, Summer and Winter (seasons of India), Up World, Down World (biodiversity of canopy forests), A Cloud of Trash (Cleanliness), A Helping Hand (inclusivity and accepting differences), Reethi and Mithu, Angry Akku (handling emotions).

These books are sure to evoke curiosity in children and encourage them to discover and ask questions about the world around them.

What is a STEM Classroom Library Kit?

The kit is a wall-mounted modular library unit that can be put up in any classroom or library. It consists of 100+ books, primarily in STEM subjects. Hindi or English books will be given away on the basis of medium of instruction in the classroom/learning centre.

If you wish to apply for this grant, kindly go through the Application Guidelines listed below and if you fulfill the criteria, do fill out the Application Form. 

Guidelines for STEM Library Kit Application : 

• The Applicant should be a Non-Profit Organization registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 or Section 25 of Companies Act of 1956 or any other legal entity under regulations of Government of India OR a Government or Private School for children from low income communities.

• The Applicant should be working with children from low income communities. 

• The Applicant should have a functioning reading program/ active library for children with fixed reading hours outside curriculum. This reading program must give children access and opportunities to read book, which are not a part of the set curriculum and are read for the pleasure of reading. 

• The Applicant should be working with children from Grades 3 to 8. 

• The reading program that the applicant runs should impact at least 150-200 children of the community.

• The applicant would be required to sign a Memorandum-Of-Understanding with Pratham Books and give regular updates and feedback on the outcomes of the library received. The organisation would have to share two structured reports before March 2018. (a set format will be shared by Pratham Books)

• The applicant should be open to collaborating with Pratham Books on a programmatic intervention as per need, requirement and interest. This could be any or all of these - digital intervention, volunteering opportunities, storytelling sessions, research related programs, marketing campaigns, opportunities for interaction with children.

• Only online applications sent through THIS link will be eligible for the grant. E-mail or printed applications will not be accepted.

• Preference would be given to organisations who have never received a grant from Pratham Books before.

• The STEM Library kit from Pratham Books is available as single language kits with books in the following languages only : English and Hindi. The kits will be granted in the same language as the medium of instruction in the classroom or learning center.

Last day of application: 3rd November 2017

Applying for the grant- Please click on THIS link to apply for the library grant.

Points to be noted

• A duly filled form is imperative for us to consider your application, so please don’t miss any columns while filling in your application.

• Only applications received via THIS Google Form link will be considered. Applications sent via email or post will not be eligible for the grant.

• Decision of Pratham Books will be final while selecting the final list of beneficiaries for the grant. 

• Pratham Books is not obliged to disclose the cause of acceptance or rejection of any application.

As the applications start pouring in, we promise to read and consider every application we receive. We are also looking for new partners in this journey, so organisations who have not yet benefited from any grant from Pratham Books before will get first preference. 

Please write to us at [email protected] if you have any further questions or comments.

This grant has been supported by Oracle.

 

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Written by Chetana Divya Vasudev and Sherein Bansal, Assistant Editors, Pratham Books

 

Even a kilometre away from Agastya Foundation’s Science Campus in Kuppam, we’re greeted by the fresh scent of its green landscape. We all wake up (or are made to) after a three hour journey, and look out the windows to see hills and farmland all around. As we reach the gate, we see their motto ‘Aah Aha! Haha!’ inscribed on it - a philosophy that drives their 18 year old science education programme.

Children from under-served backgrounds experience the wonderment of discovery (Aah!), to understanding the concept (Aha!), to having fun with learning (Haha!) here. The science campus, situated on the  border of the three Southern states-  Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, attracts about 600 children from neighbouring villages, who come to the campus about once a week to experience learning.

Pratham Books and Agastya Foundation have been collaborating for years, driven with a common philosophy of making children curious. With the launch of StoryWeaver, getting books into the hands of the hundreds of children that visit the campus has been made even easier. The digital library sits in the computer center where the children can choose a book to read in either Tamil, Telugu, Kannada or English, including many of our STEM titles, along with learning animation and mastering basic computer skills. The Pratham Books team is on a visit to the amazing campus to get a sense of all the initiatives Agastya Foundation has undertaken to nurture this curiosity further.

We roll ahead and everyone is looking out of the van windows pointing at the sculpture of a dismantled batsman, or a huge ant hill with child-sized ants crawling over it, or a mini-bus randomly sticking out on a pole. We come to know later that all the sculptures and installations across this beautiful 172 acre land were created by the renowned architect, Sharukh Mistry and Agastya Design team.

 

We have our fill of the sight of the faraway hills that circle us, and reach the stone-walled auditorium situated in the midst of this biodiversity. It’s nearly lunch time when we walk into the cool auditorium. Jagadeesa, an ace storyteller and head of the library program at Agastya Foundation, has just finished the narration of ‘Kottavi Raja and His Sleepy Kingdom’ in English and Telugu. His audience of about 200 children, scattered across the space, are clearly delighted. One girl even volunteers to tell the story in English again.

Once she’s done, our team spreads out among the children, and an easy chatter resumes. Soon, they start filing out for their noon break. We meet some of the Agastya staff members, and they tell us more about the work they do.They lead us out, along a concrete path strewn with imprints of leaves of the Indian almond tree, up to the canteen. By the door are tyre and metal pawns that go with an outdoor chess board! The meal is simple yet delicious and we discuss Agastya’s philosophy behind setting up this campus in detail.

  

A little later, Aparna Kapur, author of ‘Ghum-Ghum Gharial’s Glorious Adventure’, takes the stage and narrates the story of Ghum Ghum, a baby gharial who separates from her family in the river and must make her way back to them somehow! The children giggle their way through the animal sounds that punctuate the book. Jagdeesa live-translates the story into Telugu.

Our Editor, Bijal Vachharajani is up next. She makes the children laugh with the narration of her story ‘What’s Neema Eating Today?’. We watch children repeat after her. Funny expressions and sounds of 200 satisfied tummies, and the auditorium goes “Mmm-mmmmmmmmmmm!” Everybody has fun identifying their favorite seasonal fruits in the colourful picture book.

The final session with the children is the Food Rakshasa Activity conducted by Bijal and Aparna. Children are divided into groups and together they draw their idea of a monster on paper by substituting body parts with fruits and vegetables -- chilli, ladies’ finger, bottle gourd, apple, carrot and more. And what lively, scary, yummy monsters we get to see by the end of it!

Post the session, the Pratham Books Team follows Subramanya Shastry, a key team member of the Foundation who has generously agreed to give us a detailed tour of the campus. “The children observe the nature around, pick up things from their surroundings, and create art from it,” our host is explaining. But his words nearly skip our attention; the display around us is distracting.

  

We tear ourselves away from this building with some difficulty and head to the innovation centre. Here the children, in groups, come up with devices or social interventions that impact their day-to-day life. For example, since water supply is erratic in most villages, one group has devised a sensor to alert people when water has been released. In the summer months, the supply can be as infrequent as once in ten days, so it’s crucial not to miss every opportunity to fill up the buckets. Another group’s device, to be installed at bus stops, would indicate how many buses of a certain route have passed.

Our tour includes the media centre where we get to see photographs, animations and short films by the children. We wrap up with a short visit to the library and the robotics lab.

Too soon, it’s time to get back on the bus. As we wave goodbye to the staff and children, we’re certain we’ll be back here before long.

 

More pics from our visit can be seen here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm4sDAMf

 

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