Educational Initiatives
SRISTI's educational initiatives aim at inculcating curiosity, respect and commitments among children towards nature and environment — building a sustainable network of innovative pedagogies and learning processes.
What We Aim to Achieve
The educational initiatives of SRISTI have major objectives, guiding all activities undertaken to further the cause of education.
Nature & Environment
Inculcating curiosity, respect and commitments among children towards nature and environment.
Research & Documentation
Involving students from multiple disciplines to undertake research and documentation of grassroots innovations and traditional practices with specific reference to women.
Innovative Pedagogy
Building a sustainable network of partners interested in developing innovative pedagogies and learning processes for children.
Initiatives for Educational Rehabilitation
While undertaking relief activities in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Kutchh district in Gujarat, SRISTI observed that education is often accorded a displaced priority. This became more pathetic due to the poor socio-economic condition of the people in many talukas where the majority used to migrate.
Besides the routine problem of low attendance and high drop-out rates among school-going children, the earthquake had created some sort of aberration in the academic environment of the region. Realizing the importance of the issue, the seventh Shodh Yatra was organized in the Rapar taluka of the Kutchh district, named as 'Sikshan Sodh Evam Shram Arpan Yatra'. Effort was made to impress on the parents to send their children to school.
SRISTI organised several workshops and consultative meetings involving noted local teachers, faculty members of Ravi J Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation (IIM Ahmedabad), state government officials from GCERT Gandhinagar, and a few local NGOs. This led to the beginning of 'SRISTI Bal Gram Shala' — a concrete school project.
The project established 19 alternative schools in areas that lacked any schooling infrastructure in the Rapar taluka. SRISTI helped set up a separate trust called 'Centre for Research and Social Development' (CRSD), which is currently looking into the educational initiatives.
19
Alternative Schools
Established in Rapar taluka
7th
Shodhyatra
Named 'Sikshan Sodh Evam Shram Arpan Yatra'
CRSD
Trust Established
Centre for Research and Social Development
A concrete school project that established alternative schools in areas lacking any schooling infrastructure, now run by CRSD.
Bio-Diversity Contests
One of the major guiding principles of SRISTI behind educational innovations has been to inculcate a sense of appreciation, care and concern towards the environment and nature.
336
Children Participated
In Kutchh bio-diversity competition
728
Plants Named
By the first prize winner
364
Students
In Banaskantha district competition
9
Schools
In each district competition
How It Works
Children in a village school are informed about the competition a few weeks in advance. Each child is told to bring, on the appointed date, a list of as many plants as they can find out, identify their uses after talking to their grandparents, neighbours or whoever, and collect samples in the case of plants which are not endangered. They are given points on the basis of each criteria and are also quizzed to find out whether they remember some of the things that they have written.
The top rankers are given prizes and social applause. Such competitions invariably lead to a process of knowledge churning in the village.
Past Competitions
Kutchh District
9 schools · 336 children · First prize winner named 572 plants and remembered uses of 156 plants (728 total)
Banaskantha District
9 schools · 364 students · Winner named 265 plants, remembered use of 258 plants, collected 89 plant variety samples
Dissertation on Local Knowledge & Innovations
In a meeting held with the Principals of the Gram Vidyapeethas in Gujarat, it was decided that students would conduct dissertations on themes of local knowledge and traditional practices.
Three students from each Gram Vidyapeetha from three different subjects (Agronomy, Extension and Veterinary)
Dissertation themes: organic farming, traditional practices for increasing milk productivity, traditional knowledge among rural women
Assisting undergraduate women students of rural colleges to study animal husbandry practices of local women
More than 100 dissertations produced over the last four years
Dissertations Produced
In the past, SRISTI has been involved in assisting undergraduate women students of a rural college to study the animal husbandry practices of local women. The aim was to enable students to learn from the practices of people through a critical process of inquiry.
Over the last four years, more than 100 dissertations have been produced, creating a rich body of knowledge on local innovations and traditional practices.
How Can You Be Involved?
We are planning to assist CRSD to streamline and expand its educational initiatives. There are proposals for starting residential schools and initiating more innovative teaching and learning material.
Starting residential schools for children of migrating labourers
Initiating innovative teaching and learning material for children
Expanding CRSD's educational initiatives across more regions
Supporting time, resources, or skills for educational programmes
Support Our Mission
If you can support any of the above initiatives in whatever form — time, resources, skills — please let us know. Every contribution helps build a better educational future for children.