Education Park Project
Primary Steward: Vinod Ramachandran
Secondary Steward: Prateek Sharma
Project Description
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Location: Bhikangaon, Madhya Pradesh, India
Area (urban/rural):Rural
Primary Focus: Children & Youth in Rural Area
Project Type:School/Vocational Training
Amount Requested (US$): $8,700 + 3563 ~
12.2KUSD (approx,
)
 Purpose of Funding Request: Subsidy, stationary
and books for poor kids
 # of Beneficiaries:89
conversion @ Rs. 55/-
Project Goals
Project Background/Impact
 Asha Stanford already has a relation with EduPark.
 The project has attracted attention from various
sections of society and is generating a lot of
awareness.
 Education Park is doing exceptionally well and parents
are very happy with the progress.
 Focus is on Energy, Economy and Education to drive
holistic development of the region.
 The project has got recognition in the media and as
well as by research organizations like
TERI[http://www.teriin.org/index.php]
Organization Description
 Name of Organization: The Education Park
 Dr. Chetan Solanki – President Edu. Park and Associate Prof at IIT Bombay.
 Advisors:
 Mr. Madhav Paranjpe (Well known educationalist, Indore)
 Dr. B. K . Passi (Well known educationalist, Indore)
 Dr. Prakash Vyavahare (Prof. and Dean of Faculty, SGSITS, Indore)
 Dr. Rakesh Saxena (Prof, Department of Electrical Engg, SGSITS, Indore)
 Dr. Saroj Rangnekar (Prof. and head, Energy Center, MANIT, Bhopal)
 Mr. Sanjay Prakash (Solar Passive Architect, Delhi)
 Dr. Prasanna Gandhi (Prof. of Mechanical Engg. Dept, IIT Bombay)
 Mr. Ramswaroop Agrawal (Businessman and social worker, Khargone)
 Mr. Kalyan Agrawal (Businessman, Bhikangaon, Dist. Khargone)
 Dr. Anuradha, MBBS (Social worker, Khargone)
 Dr. Anil Kottanthayal (Prof. of Electrical Engg. Dept, IIT Bombay)
 No religious/political affiliations.
 FCRA (prior-permission) already available with Asha Stanford.
Existing Infrastructure/Facilities
 Land - 14 acres
 When acquired, it was barren land, now there are more
than 1100 trees/plants.
 Solar Passive Architecture.
 Generates its own electricity using Solar Panels – no
connection to grid.
 Subsidy provided to children from economically weak
background.
 Construction of middle block is in progress. Currently
they have completed block two of the middle block
 Construction of training center for farmers has been
completed
Curriculum/Pedagogy
 Following CBSE pattern.
 Innovative approach to education with focus on
practical trainings. [refer to pics/slide deck attached]
 Combination of ABL and hands on training along with
formal education.
 Foundation Program for weak students to bring them
into mainstream.
Expected Outcomes/What After?
 When fully in operation, Education Park will be
educating about 1000 students per year and also
training nearly 1000 people per year.
 The Education Park will also conduct training
programs to create leaders who can take the
challenge of setting up of new Education Parks. In
long terms, the Education Park plans to open chain of
such ‘Education Parks’ in rural areas.
Budget for Requested Funding
 Subsidized students: 52*(6121-1200) = 255892
 RTE students: 37*(6121-2607) = 130018
 Miscellaneous: 89*1000= 89000
 Total cost For Subsidized Students: 4,74,910 Rs.
Requirement for Phase 2 of Middle Block
 Overall several other things are going at Education
Park. We have just finished part-2 of the Middle block.
We have made library, laboratory room, compute
room, soil testing laboratory room, etc. We need to put
materials like books, furniture, lab equipments, etc. in
this facility. We need support in this regard as well. It
would be great to get help and all students will be
benefited. List of our current requirement is given
below (total cost is estimated to about 6,31,000 Rs):
Additional Budget Request – For Middle
Block
Item
Rs
Chairs for computer lab and others (total-50)
25000
Tables for training center
25000
Green board and white boards for new classrooms
28000
Soil testing laboratory equipment for farmers training center
225000
Books for library
50000
Equipment for science lab
85000
Mats for children (used for lunch)
8000
Almira (total 4)
20000
Security guard room construction (living + security)
20000
Solar demonstration equipment
30000
Drip system and plants
50000
Outdoor Play equipment for children (like swings, fisal patti, see-saw, etc.)
35000
Playground preparation, football pole, basketball poles
30000
Total (Rs) 6,31,000
Other Funding Sources
 In 2010, Dr. Chetan Solanki won an award at IIT
Bombay for INR 5 lac which he dedicated to the cause
of Education Park.
 In 2010, ROSE has also provided funding for USD
10K.
 Yash Birla group is funding some part of Middle block
construction.
 Most of the donation has been raised locally utilizing
personal network.
 They have taken zero percent loan from well wishers
to meet their construction needs for primary block.
Site Visit Report
 Site visit done by Subrato Chatterjee (Ruchi
Choudhary, a student from IIT Kanpur) on 14th Jan,
2012
SWOT Analysis
Strengths/Opportunities
 Holistic approach. Focus on Energy, Economy &
Education.
 Activity Based Learning for the Children
 Highly Motivated Project Partner
 Zero Energy Campus
 Practical trainings for youth
 Helping local communities by spreading awareness
about education and energy conservation.
Steward Recommendation
 I met Dr. Chetan in February, 2012. Dr. Chetan is very
motivated and committed Professor and is currently on
a Sabbatical this year so that he can keep his focus on
EDUPARK.
 His Phd was in the area of solar energy and he is
using his research experience to ensure that
EDUPARK’s operations are as eco-friendly as
possible.
 The School has also implemented RTE which is
commendable
 I strongly recommend that this project be funded by
Asha Stanford