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Educate a poor rural child in need by Isha Education

Needs more donors to continue operations

Educate a poor rural child in need

Thank you!

This program is fully funded because of donors like you.

Impact

Every monthly donation helps educate more kids like Barani

Isha Vidhya schools work with the education of children in the villages across Tamil Nadu. Baranitharan's father was a laborer who passed away due to a heart attack. His mother couldn't work as she had an infant to take care of.

With the shock of the sudden death of her husband, she became ill. Baranitharan was forced to discontinue school to look after his siblings. Isha foundation counseled his mother to send him to school promising help for his education. With good education and nutritious food, he has developed into a bright and happy child. Today Baranitharan is in 2nd grade and has hopes of a better life.

All a helpless child needs to secure his future is a little help from a generous donor.

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About The Program

What the beneficiary gets
Tuition
School Supplies
What you get
Tax Exemption
Periodic Reports
Program Description

Isha Vidhya works for the economic and social empowerment of rural children in the villages across southern state of Tamil Nadu. The foundation is committed to raising the level of education and literacy in rural India and to help disadvantaged children realize their full potential.

Through its schools, it offers a nurturing approach to education in villages. Isha Vidya promotes education among female children in the villages and the schools have seen an increased enrollment of girl children. There are 4000 students studying in 8 Isha Vidhya schools out of which 2,306 students are under scholarship. When you sponsor a child, the tuition fee, books. and educational supplies are covered.

Even nominal fees are too much for families of these children. In the absence of support, these children would drop out of school.Donate to this program so a child doesn't have to drop out of school.

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About The NGO

Isha Education
Isha Education Logo
Isha Education

Isha Vidhya rural schools have been started in villages (under the umbrella of Isha Education, established in 2005) to provide high-quality school education to underprivileged rural children who cannot otherwise access or afford it. Isha Vidhya’s English-medium schools open the door for rural children to prepare for higher studies and to join the workforce. The holistic, activity-based approach of Isha Vidhya’s educational system, nurtures children’s development beyond just academics, ensuring that students realize their full potential and learn in a joyful manner.

With 10 schools and over 8500 students, the members of Isha Vidya actively support and promote education among female children in the villages as a result of which their schools have seen an increased enrolment of girl children.

60% of our children are first generation school goers and are on scholarship. The on-going pandemic has severely affected the families of our children. This year with CSR funds nearly non-existent, we are entirely dependent on individual donors to contribute for the scholarships of the students. This campaign is to seek your support for these deserving children.

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founders
Founded in 1991
NGO Leadership

Vinod Hari

areas of operation
Area of Operation
Area of Operation

Primary Education | education

location of work
Location of Work
Location of Work

Tamil Nadu

Isha Education has

provided quality education to 38,000 underprivileged children

awards
Awards And Recognitions
Awards And Recognitions

2016: India Inclusion Award

2017: Best Hub Director

last audited
Last Audited
Periodic Compliance Checks by GiveIndia

Renewals FY 19-20

Program Updates

Program Updates

22 September, 2023

An update on the program you are supporting

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

Total number of beneficiaries impacted was 247 out of which 40% were females, in Isha Vidhya Schools in Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Erode, Tuticorin, Nagercoil, Salem and Cuddalore


Challenges faced and next steps

Isha Vidhya has participated in Sports & Academic meets conducted in State level, District level and Zonal level competitions and won several prizes under team & individual categories. Isha Vidhya was selected for MANAK AWARDS conducted by National Innovation foundation - India. 1466 new students were enrolled in the AY 22-23'.


Stories from the ground

Arunkumar studying in VII Std, Isha Vidhya Erode School. His father works as a driver and mother is a tailor. Their family is financially unstable due to debts. By the scholarship support he could continue his studies. He aspires to become a Pilot. He shared his views that their parents didn't get opportunity to study but for him this scholarship provides good education. He thanked each one of all who are supporting this good cause


20 December, 2022

Educate a poor rural child in need

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

Isha Vidhya’s 10 rural schools (9 in the districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tuticorin, Nagercoil and Karur in Tamil Nadu and one in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh), Isha Vidhya Schools serve over 9342 rural children, from kindergarten to 12th Standard. Over 62% of the students – most of whom are first-generation learners – are supported by scholarships. The class board results for 12th std have been declared 100% of our students have passed and in 10th std, 99% of our students have passed for the academic year 2021-22 with good scores. This year Class 10 school toppers in all 8 Isha Vidhya schools in Tamilnadu are girls. In the current academic year, 49.1% of scholarship students are girls. This figure has steadily risen over the years because Isha Vidhya’s staff has been persuading parents to educate their daughters. A scholarship, chaperoned transport, the mid-day meal, and Yoga are some of the game-changing reasons for these girls, who have made the best of the chance given to them, being sent to school.28 February is celebrated as the National Science Day to commemorate CV Raman’s discovery of the 'Raman Effect'. To mark this occasion, a celebratory exhibition was held at Isha Vidhya and the theme was 'Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future'. At the exhibition, the students’ enthusiasm was evident as they explained their projects – there were 44 projects on display including a moving robot, an ATM, a lava lamp, etc., that they had created with their teachers’ help. Such events help hone students’ hidden talents.

More than 250 Isha Vidhya students of classes 10 and 12 visited Isha Yoga Center while another batch of 1000 students joined online for an intimate Satsang with Sadhguru on 1 February 2022. During the session, Sadhguru explained to the students the importance of searching for truth every day and emphasized the value of knowing one’s abilities and making the best use of them. The students asked Sadhguru several questions ranging from cellphone usage to the role of youth in saving soil. Sadhguru encouraged the students to get actively involved and raise their voices to save soil. He also engaged in light-hearted banter and advised them on how to handle their upcoming board examinations.

Through this generous donation, about 49 students have benefited.


Challenges faced and next steps

As the schools were re-opened after COVID-19 Lockdown. Our students were excited to be reunited with their friends and teachers after a long time. The focus was on reinforcing awareness of COVID-19 protocol, strictly adhering to it, and instilling confidence in our students. The teachers began classes with games and fun activities to perk up their return to school. As the students were transformed from online to offline classes, we faced lots of behavioural challenges and academic activities of the students. To overcome the behavioural challenges of the students, our teachers join hands with volunteers and conducted joyful sessions and counselling for the students. To overcome the academic slow learners baseline assessment done and categorized the students based on the assessment done we started special classes for the remedial student who needs extra attention, we kept on increasing the test numbers for them. Due to the continuous monitoring of students, teachers got pressurized on handling them, to overcome our volunteers conducted counselling and arranged team-building sessions for staffs. Also as part of having fun, our management initiated fun-filled activities for teaching and non-teaching staff by taking them to field trip which refreshes them.


Stories from the ground

Dhanushka, who studies on a scholarship in Class 4 at Isha Vidhya Dharmapuri, has trudged a difficult journey thus far. Her father was a mason and her mother works for daily wages in 100 days scheme by the government. She is from a poor background family. There are 3 girl children for her parents hence they are unable to meet their basic needs, while her siblings studies at a government school. Dhanushka aspires to become a doctor, her educational dream has been possible through scholarship support. Dhanushka excels at Isha Vidhya – she is interested in her own way of learning, listens attentively and makes a solid effort to avoid distractions that could interrupt the learning process. She always looks for ways to be helpful in the classroom.


19 July, 2022

Students back to School

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

Isha Vidhya’s 10 rural schools (9 in the districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tuticorin, Nagercoil and Karur in Tamil Nadu and one in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh), Isha Vidhya Schools serve over 8800 rural children, from kindergarten to 12th Standard. Over 61% of the students – most of whom are first-generation learners – are supported by scholarships. The rest pay a subsidized fee. The class. Board results for 10th and 12th std have been declared and 100% of our students have passed for the academic year 2020-21 with good scores.

International Day of Yoga Celebrations - This year, due to the pandemic situation, International Day of Yoga was celebrated remotely on 21st June 2021. Through live online lessons, our students taught Simha Kriya, which increases lung capacity and helps boost the immune system. Besides, special sessions were conducted for their parents.

As a part of Gandhi Jayanti celebrations, students of Isha Vidhya schools planted saplings in the school premises.

Educate a poor rural child in need - 124 students were benefitted. They are provided scholarships to continue their education.


Challenges faced and next steps

The schools are closed for most of this period from July to December 2021 due to the COVID-19 Lockdown. Schools reopened for Class 9 - 12 on Sep 1 by Standard Operating Procedures. Thermal screening, hand sanitizing, masks and social distancing are the new normal in the schools. Our students were excited to be reunited with their friends and teachers after long. The focus was on reinforcing awareness of COVID-19 protocol, strictly adhering to it, and instilling confidence in our students. Students of classes 5-7 returned to school on 1 Nov and primary school students resumed on 8 Nov. While following safety guidelines, they were warmly welcomed with sweets and flowers. The teachers began classes with games and fun activities to perk up their return to school. During the online classes, to ensure that the students do not miss the campus bustle and playtime with their friends, fun-filled activities were also started. Students solved puzzles and design projects in their virtual classrooms. The lockdown has blurred the distinction between homework and classwork for the students. We had overcome the hurdle posed by the pandemic by sending lessons via WhatsApp groups. Our teachers prepare short audio/videos and notes and post them in groups. They also prepare worksheets for the lessons. Students submit the completed assignments in the same groups. To help slow learners, who need extra attention to catch up with their classmates, the Academic Team sends worksheets on subjects like Tamil, English and Mathematics. To make home learning more engaging and add value to the online sessions, we have devised various approaches – one of which is our Get Mentored sessions. The Get Mentored sessions, conducted by renowned professionals from different walks of life – from an Indian Air Force pilot to an IPS officer, to a writer, and many more –aim to broaden the perspectives of our higher secondary students and provide them with first-hand knowledge about different professions. We have started in-person classes starting 1st February 2022 for the students from class 1 to class 12. Our 10th and 12th std students will appear for board exams on the dates which will be finalized by the Government. Annual exams for students in other grades may be conducted as per Govt notification.


Stories from the ground

Deepasri and her younger brother study on scholarships at Isha Vidhya Dharmapuri. Her parents are uneducated – her father is a two-wheeler mechanic and her mother is a tailor, but both their incomes put together are insufficient to fund the education of the siblings. This class topper is now in Class 10 and says that her teachers inspire her and have helped build her self-confidence. Deepasri’s teachers are pleased with her performance, especially her English teacher, who sees her as a curious and promising learner who is attentive in class and has no qualms about asking questions to clarify concepts and deepen her understanding. Deepasri is grateful for the opportunities she gets to develop new skills every day through different activities, to maintain good health with Yoga, and also to exhibit her talent in sports. She has won prizes in athletics at the school and district levels and wants to pursue sports in college too. She aspires to study B.Sc. in Nursing – inspired by the nurses she has observed at work in hospitals.


30 September, 2021

Educate a poor rural child in need

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Activities and work undertaken in the last 5-6 months

Isha Vidhya’s 10 rural schools (9 in the districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tuticorin, Nagercoil and Karur in Tamil Nadu and one in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh), Isha Vidhya Schools serve over 8800 rural children, from kindergarten to 12th Standard. Over 61% of the students – most of whom are first-generation learners – are supported by scholarships. The rest pay a subsidized fee.The class 12th board results have been declared and 100% of our students have passed for the academic year 2020-21. 253 out of 290 students have scored above 75%. Our Dharampuri school had its first batch of 12th passouts. The median score for our schools is 513.96(out of 600) which is 85.66%.Keerthana, an alumna class topper who studied at Isha Vidhya Coimbatore on a scholarship, secured admission at the Government Medical College in Coimbatore. She attributes her performance to her encouraging and supportive teachers.Sivesh N., an Isha Vidhya Tuticorin alumnus was from the first Class 10 batch of the school. He had scored a magnificent 98% to become the first school topper. In pursuit of his childhood ambition to become a doctor, this year, in his fourth attempt at the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Sivesh scored well and secured an MBBS seat in ESIC Medical College, Chennai under the IP quota whereby his parents can afford the education.60 Cognizant Outreach volunteers conducted two virtual training courses for 374 Isha Vidhya faculty members across 10 districts in Tamil Nadu, training them on the use of Microsoft Office suite, creating digital content, using social media effectively, and staying safe online.The training included a module on ‘Digital Mastery’ to enable them to use smartphones and computers effectively and the ‘Digital Teaching’ module to empower them with tools and techniques to enhance students' engagement and learning outcomes during virtual teaching sessions. This initiative has positively impacted over 8,000 students.It was a gold haul at the inter-school zonal Silambam zonal competition where 10 Isha Vidhya students won gold medals and certificates. The competition was conducted by the World Silambam Sports Association on 31st January 2021 at Tuticorin. About 200 students from 20 schools participated in this event. Silambam is a weapon-based Indian martial art originating in southern India and is an optional part of the sports curriculum at Isha Vidhya.


Challenges faced and next steps

The schools are closed for most of this period from Jan to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 Lockdown. Following the guidelines set by the Education Department, our schools reopened for students of Class 10 and 12 on 19th January. Both teachers and students were overjoyed to be back in school after months of virtual classes. The focus was on reinforcing awareness of COVID-19 protocol, strictly adhering to it, and instilling confidence in our students. The schools then closed prematurely on 31st March due to the 2nd wave of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Before the online classes began, we reached out to volunteers across the country who donated smart devices so that our students could attend virtual classes. This long period of being away from school, however, came with its challenges. And, to ensure that the children do not get distracted and out of touch with academics, we delivered study books to students’ homes, wherever the parents found it difficult to come to the school to pick them up. Also, the switch to online learning was supported by our teachers and academic team who came up with innovations of their own to launch several online home learning programs. To ensure that the students do not miss the campus bustle and playtime with their friends, fun-filled activities were also started. Students solved puzzles and design projects in their virtual classrooms.The lockdown has blurred the distinction between homework and classwork for the students. We had overcome the hurdle posed by the pandemic by sending lessons via WhatsApp groups. Our teachers prepare short audio/videos and notes and post them in groups. They also prepare worksheets for the lessons. Students submit the completed assignments in the same groups. To help slow learners, who need extra attention to catch up with their classmates, the Academic Team sends worksheets on subjects like Tamil, English and Mathematics. For higher classes, Khan Academy videos are also used. Google Hangout classes are conducted from time to time and mock tests too. Children are engaged for about 2 hours in lower classes and about 2 to 3 hours every day from 9th to 12th. Unfortunately, initially, only about 50% of our students were able to participate in the digital classes as 60% of our students don’t have access to smartphones, Our volunteers took it upon themselves to help at least a few students who didn’t have access to one as they were essential for attending WhatsApp and online sessions.There has been an improvement in attendance since September 2020 and more than 80% of the students are now attending Zoom / WhatsApp classes.To make home learning more engaging and add value to the online sessions, we devised various approaches – our weekly Get Mentored sessions are one such effort.The interactive Get Mentored sessions, conducted by renowned professionals from different walks of life – an Indian Air Force pilot, a writer, an IPS officer, and an IAS officer, along with many others – are aimed at broadening the perspectives of our students and providing them with first-hand knowledge about different professions.Our children are coping quite well despite the lockdown. However, as per Government directives, lessons will be conducted through Whatsapp & Zoom. The government has allowed schools for classes 9 to 12 and all colleges including polytechnics to function from September 1 on a shift basis.The government said it is also considering reopening schools for kindergarten and classes 1 to 8 after September 15 after consultations and depending on the implementation of the safety norms for the senior classes that are now allowed to reopen.


Stories from the ground

Impact story from the ground:Harini, who studies on a scholarship in Class 7 at Isha Vidhya Dharmapuri, has trudged a difficult journey this far. Her father was an alcoholic who habitually abused his wife and was diagnosed with brain cancer but couldn't be saved despite the family spending Rs. 3 lakh for his treatment.Her mother now runs a shop and also does tailoring from home to feed her 5 children but is still unable to meet their basic needs.While her siblings study at a government school, Harini is doing well at Isha Vidhya – she's diligent and meticulous with her classwork and homework, and an active participant in class discussions. She has won prizes in athletics at the school level.Harini loves the computer and math classes and says that she is always trying to do her best at academics to make her mother happy and support her. She wants to become a doctor – like a doctor next door, and work to serve poor people in villages.


23 March, 2021

Remote learning during lockdown

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The year began on a golden note for Isha Vidhya with several students winning accolades in national and district level sports events. However, the usual buzz on our campuses fell silent in March as summer vacations were ushered in early by COVID-19 lockdown.
The schools may have closed down but our hearts remained with our students. During the pandemic our first priority was to check on each and every student of Isha Vidhya. Isha Vidhya teachers and staff reached out to the students and their families to enquire. They felt reassured and expressed gratitude that Isha cared about them during this time of crisis.
This long period of being away from school, however, came with its own challenges. And, to ensure that the children do not get distracted and out of touch with academics, we delivered study books to students’ homes, wherever the parents found it difficult to come to the school to pick them up. Also, the switch to online learning was supported by our teachers and academic team who came up with innovations of their own to launch several online home learning programs. To ensure that the students do not miss the campus bustle and playtime with their friends, fun-filled activities were also started. Students solved puzzles, and designed projects in their virtual classrooms.
Realizing that only 60% of our students have access to smartphones, Isha volunteers took it upon themselves to help at least a few students who didn’t have access to one as they were essential for attending Whatsapp and online sessions.
‘Get Mentored’ interactive sessions were organized for students as well as teachers with scientists, economists, entrepreneurs, and experts from other fields. As a part of over 18 ‘Get Mentored’ sessions, the students had a chance to interact with people like:
➔ Ms. Sangeeta Prasad, MD and CEO of Mahindra Lifespace
➔ Ms. Shrimati Damal, CFO of Majid Al Futtaim LLC, UAE
➔ Mrs. Sudha Kanago, Global Head, Business Process Reengineering, Novartis, Switzerland
➔ Paulson, IPS Officer, UP Cadre, 1998 batch
And, then it was celebration time for the young achievers. Results of standards 10 and 12 board exams were declared in June and Isha Vidhya students had once again shone by registering a perfect score - 100% pass rate.



5 July, 2020

Isha Vidhya - Educating Rural India

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Isha Vidhya - Educating Rural India




Mallakhamb Winner at National Level: Isha Vidhya Villupuram's Yuvarani of class 7 bags 3rd place in the 'National Mallakhamb Competition' held at Chhattisgarh in 2020.
Mallakhamb is a traditional sport, originating from the Indian subcontinent, in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or rope.


Peer Learning: One of the learning methodologies used at Isha Vidhya is "Peer Learning". Students feel more comfortable and open when interacting with a peer and direct interaction between students promotes active learning. Isha Vidhya's class 8 students taught about the various concepts related to magnets, magnetic energy and other science related topics through various activities, to their Class 6 friends.


Tamil Martial Arts: Kalam World Research Foundation conducted an event showcasing over 20 different Ancient Arts of War on Jan 1st, 2020. These Arts of War get the record in Kalam World Record and Nobel World Record Books. Over 150 participants took part in the event and showcased 20 different types of Tamil Martial Arts.
Isha Vidhya Dharmapuri's brother-sister duo Suryadeepan and Deepika displayed their talents in Oodhu Kolli (blowgun) event. Suryadeepan is in Class 5 and his sister is in Class 4 whose parents are daily wagers.
The event happened for 20 hours, 20 minutes and 20 seconds signifying the New year of 2020.


Atal Tinkering Lab: Atal Tinkering Lab is designed to help and nurture innovation among young innovators. The scheme enables students to explore new ideas, test them and follow 'learning by doing' approach. ATL (Atal Tinkering Lab) is an approach of the Central government of India to create an environment of scientific temperament, innovation. Atal Tinkering Lab is designed to help and nurture innovation among young innovators. The scheme enables students to explore new ideas, test them and follow 'learning by doing' approach. ATL (Atal Tinkering Lab) is an approach of the Central government of India to create an environment of scientific temperament, innovation, creativity among-st students.
We are pleased to announce that 7 of our Isha Vidhya schools have been selected for the Atal Lab grant. This will surely help our students light up their creativity and would teach essential skills that will help them in developing their professional and personal skills.


Coding and Robotics:At Isha Vidhya, interested students of classes 6 and up until 12 are benefiting from the coding and robotics club activities that happen every week. Three of Isha Vidhya schools have already got a Lab 2.0 facility sponsored by the Tinkering Life Skills Charity. The Tinkering Life Skills activities cultivate life skills like creative and critical thinking skills, self-directed learning, digital media literacy, financial literacy, familiarity with emerging technology and more. An array of subjects are taught to students in the Tinkering Life skills classes which include - Thinking like an engineer, thinking like a scientist, tinkering with electronics, electronic art and craft, robotics, e-textile, animation and film making.
Our heartfelt thanks to Atul , Founder & Trustee of Timeless Life skills Foundation who has given his time and effort to up-skill the students of Isha Vidhya.



30 October, 2018

Isha Education's Update

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Program Update


Need based scholarships and fee subsidies are provided to deserving students through this program. A comprehensive allocation process ensures only students truly in need receive scholarships/ fee subsidies. Even nominal fees are too much for some rural families. Recognizing this challenge, Isha Vidhya provides scholarships which cover students' tuition, notebooks and textbooks. Without the scholarship support; these children cannot access or afford the high-quality school education. Sponsors are matched with specific students and receive regular updates including photos, letters and progress reports.


Story from the field


Priyadarshini's father is an Electrician, and his meagre income is not sufficient enough to take care of the family expenses. Priyadarshini's has received a scholarship. She is excellent in academics and scores good marks in all the subjects. Her favourite subject is English. She is very interested in drawing and she shows a lot of interest in developing her skills. Her favourite game is Kho-Kho. She is also part of the school Kho-Kho team.


Expected total number of beneficiaries in this program for FY18-197539
Number of beneficiaries/ benefits provided in this program this year7543

28 February, 2018

Inter-School Athletic Meet and Annual Day at Isha Schools

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The center at the Villupuram school celebrated their Annual Day on 12th January 2018. The evening turned colorful with a cultural program where children performed to classical, folk, contemporary, and Western dances.


To help our students to sharpen their athletic ability, an Inter-School Athletic Meet among Isha Vidhya schools was conducted in which the students participated very enthusiastically




As a part of creating awareness among children on environmental issues, student members of the Eco Club at Erode School underwent a short training about environmental degradation, the need for tree cover, reducing pollution through trees, and growing saplings in Eco-friendly plastic bags.



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