OUR PROGRAMMES

Whole child development needs education, art and mental well-being

And that’s exactly how our projects are structured, too.

We partner deeply with donors, governments and fellow NGOs who share the same philosophy as us, and we choose a combination of these projects based on their philosophy and ambition.

holistic education

Early Childhood

Go right, go left. Come on, get your socks up, think straight! In a world taught to rely heavily on learning by rote, this programme is geared to introduce the free flow of arts into conventional learning methods. Created primarily for 3 to 6 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds, this project is implemented anganwadis in Delhi and Noida. The idea behind the programme is simple – to introduce literacy and numeracy in young children through storytelling and art.

Children in Transition

When every subject takes the form of stories, imagine how exciting that is! Developed to help in children in key developmental ages 7 and 10 to meet their grade-wise learning outcomes in low resource classrooms. Storytelling and creative projects lead the way to create the right environment for foundational learning. This project being implemented in government schools prevents children from dropping out of school.

Adolescent Girls

13 onwards girls in developing India are told, ‘Sit at home, enough of studying’. We want to tell them, ‘Go out and rule the world’. We identify bright young girls and support them through that critical period between 13 and 20. We smile that smile and heave that sigh when the girls are empowered with agency and confidence. Aimed at adolescent girls from difficult and challenging backgrounds this project is being implemented in Chennai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram.

expressive arts

Art Integration

What can create an expansive experience for educators,  learners and community members? The answer to this question, we thought, was art. Through these projects, we create a joyful learning experience using art.

Children's Choirs

Who would think a world-class choir could be put together by children from the most disadvantaged communities? The NalandaWay Choir project is proof that it can be. Initiated first across Chennai (2015) and then Delhi (2018), this project taps into the transformative powers of music to help children emerge as more confident, hopeful and skillful. Both the Chennai Children’s Choir & Delhi Children’s Choir have performed widely, alongside many celebrated musicians and across well-known venues.

Structured Art Education

Because art does not know social divides, we thought it would help us engage the most disenfranchised children differently. Through our Art Labs, creative workshops, and consulting projects we seek to create explorative and experiential learning opportunities for children who show artistic talent. Apart from imparting relevant and sustained training in visual art, media, dance, music and theatre, our programmes also focus on developing every child creatively, emotionally, intellectually & psychologically. In partnership with the Delhi Government, we are involved with the development of curriculum design, lesson plans and pilot testing of the new Expressive Arts Programme as a part of the curricular reforms in the state of Delhi, India

wellbeing & mental health

Early Childhood

From taboo to transformation, mental health covers a whole journey in promoting positive mental health and SEL among children. The program is functionally built to look into the lives of and offer support to urban & rural underprivileged children in schools, communities and institutional care. Our projects cater to children from the ages 5 to 10. Our projects help create safe, nurturing and creative spaces. Because this is perhaps the only way that these children can find constructive means to negotiate with life’s many challenges.

Children with Disabilities

I am here, I matter, I too can make a difference! An emphatic journey from not knowing how to belong to carving out an identity. Our SEL projects are aimed at children with hearing, speech and visual impairment. Our programmes also target children with various forms of learning disorders. Through the use of visual art, dance, theatre and music this programme helps children become hopeful and resilient.

Adolescents

Adolescence as a stage of growth and development, both physically and mentally is challenging and largely misunderstood. If anyone had to describe their teenage years, the most common words used will be – rebel, confusion, crush, excitement. Our projects empower adolescents by building self-awareness and coping skills, sharpening metacognition, and cultivating compassion and hope leading to enhanced wellbeing and motivation to learn. Our projects cater to adolescents in the ages 13 to 19 in urban, rural, at-risk and institutional care settings.