About the challenge
According to a UNESCO report of September 2016, “India will be half a century late in achieving its universal education goals, hence, we will achieve — universal primary education only by 2050. Universal lower secondary education only by 2060. And, universal upper secondary education only by 2085.”
THE CHALLENGE
India has 300 million children enrolled in school — 150 million in pre-primary and primary education. Nearly 50% of our children cannot read at grade level. Inability of children to read at grade level hits India’s poorest the hardest, leading to entrenched poverty in society. If all 5-10 years old children are reading for fun and for meaning, they do well in school and are prepared to bring positive change to all, leading to sustainability for the people and the planet.
OUR FOCUS
The Tamils say, “thottil pazhakkam chudukaadu mattum” – cradle habits that last a lifetime. The 300M Challenge will focus first on children in primary schools, the 5-10 years old and bring them through fun, illustrated books to reading for fun and for meaning.
VISION
Every child reading well, for fun and for meaning, to create a sustainable world for all. Every child a Reader-Leader!
MISSION: We will —
1. Bring all children to reading for fun and meaning, starting with primary school children. We’ll strive to be disruptive—faster, more frugal, more far-reaching, and efficient.
2. Strengthen reading for meaning with fun, colourful books that focus on Girls. Earth. Equity. Kindness. We believe children can be the change that can make India a more compassionate space for all life forms if they have books that give them stories that have problem-solving protagonists and deep-thinking characters.
3. Bring in grassroots and civil society volunteers where each one teaches one—be the one—whether a school, a library, or an individual child.
4. LEAP! We will Leverage, Advocate and Partner for strength, so children and adults who can read, read together with diffident child-readers who are at risk of
dropping out of school.
5. And so…strengthen the government school system with mindful, well-designed books and learning that enhance the joy of learning
Our Work
To tackle with the 300M challenge, we work with partners, communities and the government, and for this we are going the RIPL! way. RIPL or Reading for Inclusive Public Learning is a social, inclusive process that brings children, youth, adults (professionals and retired people) into helping all children, ages 5-10 at first, to read well.
Read more about the 300m plan here!
PARTNERS
COMMUNITIES
GOVERNMENT
Using TECH AS LEVER
Archimedes famously said: Give me a lever and I will change the world! Reading is the lever we give our children to change their world and make it more sustainable socially, culturally, and ecologically!
We provide content that excites children into reading through our Reading Portal – TADAA! – equipping our children (and their parents/teachers) with technology-friendly learning, so that they can understand and find solutions for challenges like equity, global climate change and sustainable consumption.
TADAA! Portal
The TADAA! – “Think, Ask, Discuss, Act, Ach
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Opportunities
We have some fabulous partners from social, education and corporate sectors willing to contribute and make it a better world for children! Join us in this journey!