Empowering Rural Education Through Children’s Lovecastles Trust (CLT)

1. Brief Summary of Children’s Lovecastles Trust (CLT) Proposal Rachna Mathur Nirmal Govind Asha for Education, Arizona

2. CLT: Overview • Founded by Bhagya Rangachar in 1997. • Based out of Jakkur village in Karnataka. • Objective: Prevent school dropouts in rural sector. • The Need: • More than 50 % of the children drop out before they reach the 6th grade. • Less than 8 % finish 12 years of schooling. • Only 3 % make it to the end in rural areas.

3. CLT’s Approach • Create an informal layer over formal layer of government schools. • Approach: • “Adopt” a school. • Build momentum for education in the community. • Provide kids with additional learning resources (computers, mentors, etc.) – add on to formal school education. • Make learning fun! • CLT model is scaleable, repeatable, renewable, and technology-powered.

4. Current Activities • Intel Clubhouse (~ 850 kids) • Setup by donation (in kind) from Intel; partnering with MIT Media Labs. • One of only two Intel clubhouses in India. • Variety of computers, educational softwares, multimedia softwares, etc. • Teachers’ Resource Center (~ 24 teachers) • Computer lab, digital library, library, science lab, art/theater, technology-aided training program • Mid-day Meal Program (~ 650 kids)

5. Proposal • Mobile Teachers’ Resource Center (MTRC) • stackable science lab equipment • library of learning tools • books • computer with technology-aided learning tools • CLT resource person on board • Objective of MTRC • make the facilities accessible to 10 schools around Jakkur. • reach 2000 more children and several teachers.

6. Additional Information and Links • Main project pages • Children’s Lovecastle Trust: http://www.cltindia.org • MTRC Proposal: http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/486/CLT_Updated_Proposal.doc • Asha AZ CLT Project Page: http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=486 • Asha AZ Main Site: http://www.ashanet.org/arizona/ • Newspaper articles • Deccan Herald – Jakkur Kids goto Boston: http://cd.educationinindia.net/cd-cc2.htm • Business Line: http://www.blonnet.com/2003/06/06/stories/2003060601431700.htm • Intel Computer Clubhouse: http://www.intel.com/community/india/cc2.htm • AZ Intel: http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/486/AZIndiaArticle_Jan2004.doc • Newspaper article 1: http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/486/CLT_Article1.jpg • Newspaper article 2: http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/486/CLT_Article2.jpg • Powerpoint presentations • Hands On Science: http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/486/HandsonScience.ppt • Media Labs Asia (IIT):http://www.mlasia.iitb.ac.in/edu/ • Overview: http://www.employees.org/~mahaloki/CLT/CLT.ppt • Videos • Excellent intro to CLT (18min):http://www.personal.psu.edu/nug107/Asha/CLT%20Video.mpg • Video Created by Jakkur kids (In Kannada): http://www.employees.org/~mahaloki/CLT/village%20Documentry%20done%20by%20CLT%20kids/MPEGAV/AVSEQ01.DAT