Project Name: SVYM - Mobile Science Lab
Name
Address
Phone(s)
Fax
E-mail
Date: 26Apr2008
Project Contact
Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, President
Asha Contact
Melli Annamalai
Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement
Hanchipura Road, Saragur
H D Kote Taluk, Mysore District - 571
121
Karnataka, INDIA
Ph: 91 8228 - 265412 / 265413 / 265877
Mobile -91 94480 79611
see above
Mobile -91 94480 79611
Nashua, NH
drrbalu@gmail.com
annam38@yahoo.com
603-557-8092
Part I: Information about your group/organization
Please feel free to attach any additional sheets and/or information such as brochures, press reports etc.
1. Name of the group/organization requesting funds.
Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM)
Project: Mobile Science Lab
2. When was the group established?
The Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) is a not-for-profit, non-religious, nonpolitical, voluntary organization. It was founded in 1984 by a group of like- minded young
medicos from the Government Medical College, Mysore.
3. Briefly describe the motivation for starting this group.
In its initial years, the SVYM ran two rural dispensaries at Chinnadagudihundi and Thumnerale
villages. In due course, it was decided to concentrate efforts in a single location. Accordingly,
the SVYM opened a clinic at the Brahmagiri Tribal Colony in 1987. Six years later, this clinic
was shifted to Hosahalli Tirbal Colony, where it would benefit a greater number of people.
As time passed, the SVYM realized that healthcare was just one aspect of bettering the tribals'
lives. Sustained enrichment could be achieved only through education, a steady earning and
saving capacity, a broader social outlook and a realization by the tribals that their tomorrow
could be better than their today.
Responding to these and other needs, the SVYM now runs a 10-bed hospital at Kenchanahalli
and a 40 bed Multi Speciality Hospital at Saragur. Further outreach services are provided
through mobile health units. The Viveka Tribal Centre for Learning at Hosahalli, a semiresidential school, provides quality education to over 400 children. And Community
Development Programmes, which aim to create self-sufficiency through pooled resources and
education, are held regularly.
The organization has been working in the field of education for the last 18 years amidst the
marginalized rural and tribal communities and amongst the urban poor for the last year. The
experience gained by the organization shows that the rural children are generally unable to cope
in maths, English and science education. The organization today works amongst nearly 500,000
school going children spread across 6 districts of Karnataka. These children mainly attend
Government schools wherein the infrastructure and quality of teaching facilities is lacking.
Moreover the teachers are not adequately trained in teaching science. One of the reasons for the
children underperforming in science has been the lack of proper laboratory facilities and
knowledge of easy-to-do and local science experiments amongst the teachers.
In the current proposal, SVYM would like to handle this problem by setting up a mobile science
lab. This lab will be set up on a vehicle which will travel to the schools on fixed days of the
month. A trained science teacher/Demonstrator will accompany this lab and experiments will be
performed in the Government schools. These experiments will be low cost and locally
contextualized for the easier understanding of the students.
4. Briefly describe the aims of your group.
SVYM's core values include: 1) Satya- Truthfulness, 2) Ahimsa - Non-violence, 3) Seva Service, and 4) Tyaga - Sacrifice.
The SVYM vision is for a caring and equitable society, free of deprivation and strife. The
SVYM mission is to facilitate and develop processes that improve the quality of life of people.
SVYM's aim in the context of the mobile science lab project is to improve rural children's
abilities in maths, English and science education by setting up a mobile science lab that travels
to schools on fixed days of the month.
5. Does your group have any religious or political affiliation? If yes, please describe the type of
affiliation and the reason for it.
The Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) is a not-for-profit, non-religious, nonpolitical, voluntary organization. The emblem of Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement
symbolizes the organization in letter and spirit, reflecting its basic tenet of Serving God in
Man', as propounded by Swami Vivekananda.
6. What non education-related community development activities is your group involved in?
In addition to education, SVYM has activities in the fields as diverse as health, community
development, training, research, advocacy, consultancy and organizational management. In
health, examples of institution based activities include Vivekananda Memorial Hospital in
Saragur, Vivekananda Memorial Hospital in Kenchanahalli, and an Anti Retroviral Treatment
Center in Mysore. Community based activities include programs focusing on outreach,
reproductive & child healthcare (RCH), water, sanitation & hygiene education (Nairmalya
vahini), eye care, control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and numerous other.
Additional information may be found at www.svym.net.
Part II: Details about your educational project/s
7. List the school/s run by your group, and their locations. If you are requesting funds for only
a few of several schools, please specify which one/s.
This proposal addresses a need to improve the abilities of rural children in maths, English and science
education. SVYM proposes to do so by setting up a mobile science lab. This lab will be set up on a
vehicle which will travel to the schools on fixed days of the month. A trained science
teacher/Demonstrator will accompany this lab and experiments will be performed in the Government
schools. These experiments will be low cost and locally contextualized for the easier understanding of the
students.
SVYM will use best practices established over 20 years of working with the most marginalized rural and
tribal communities of H.D. Kote taluk in Mysore district. The additional schools that are run by SVYM
(but not part of this funding proposal) are:
Viveka Tribal Center for Learning (VTCL), Hosahalli.
This semi-residential school for the tribals, started in 1988, has more than 400 tribal children children
(most of them first generation school goers) studying from Classes 1 to 10. Situated in the lap of nature,
this school adopts joyful, experiential and child-centered learning methodologies. Apart from the regular
state-government prescribed syllabus, children are also exposed to yoga, computers, music, life-skill
development activities, competitive sports and cultural events. Besides excellent residential facilities, all
school children are provided wholesome and nutritious mid-day meals. The school also has a publication
wing that is involved in the production of novel learning materials. The tribal museum in the school is an
added attraction, showcasing tribal handicrafts, artifacts, herbarium of tribal medicinal plants and other
things unique to their culture. The school is recognized by the Department of Education, Government of
Karnataka and also the National Institute of Open Schooling.
Viveka � School of Excellence, Saragur
This school provides access to the rural and tribal communities of H.D.Kote Taluk to alternate systems of
education at an affordable cost. As articulated by Swami Vivekananda the school visions education to be
Life Building, Man Making, Character Making assimilation of Ideas. The school has about 250 children
studying from pre-school onwards upto the 6th standard. The curriculum here is based on the concept of
Multiple Intelligences and the learning is activity oriented and child-paced. The pre-school has co-opted
the Montessori learning methodologies.
In addition to the two schools mentioned above, another proposal has been submitted to Asha for a
Vivekananda Teacher's Training Resource Center (VTTRC).
8. Location of school/s Urban Rural Other
9. Specify the type of education provided (e.g. basic literacy, vocational training etc.).
Science education. The mobile science lab will be set up on a vehicle which will travel to the
schools on fixed days of the month. A trained science teacher/Demonstrator will accompany
this lab and experiments will be performed in the Government schools. These experiments will
be low cost and locally contextualized for the easier understanding of the students.
10. Please tell us about your teaching techniques (conventional vs. alternative).
Hands-on techniques and experiments will be used to promote experiential learning for
children. With the help of local science teachers and resource persons a list of experiments
pertaining to the existing school curriculum in the physics, chemistry biology & life sciences,
water & sanitation, Health & hygiene will be prepared.
In addition, the VTCL school described in item no. 7 should provide good examples of the
teaching techniques that will be employed with the mobile science lab. The semi-residential
VTCL school for the tribals, started in 1988, has more than 400 tribal children (most of them
first generation school goers) studying from Classes 1 to 10. Situated in the lap of nature, this
school adopts joyful, experiential and child-centered learning methodologies. Apart from the
regular state-government prescribed syllabus, children are also exposed to yoga, computers,
music, life-skill development activities, competitive sports and cultural events. Besides
excellent residential facilities, all school children are provided wholesome and nutritious midday meals. The school also has a publication wing that is involved in the production of novel
learning materials. The tribal museum in the school is an added attraction, showcasing tribal
handicrafts, artifacts, herbarium of tribal medicinal plants and other things unique to their
culture.
The most obvious sign of SVYM’s child-centered approach are its classrooms for younger
students. Designed especially for children not accustomed to being indoors, they have open
walls. As students get older, they begin to attend classes in buildings that are more
mainstreamed, with closed walls and tables or desks. Classes are often structured to allow
students to work at their own level. For example, slower math students are allowed to work
independently and use beans for counting while others take part in a lesson for a larger group.
Classes are often structured to be dynamic and keep up a challenging pace.
�
11. What is the literacy rate in the local community?
The literacy rate has been historically low due to the economic and cultural isolation of the
different tribal groups. Most student can be classified as first generation learners. SVYM has
been working with the tribals of Heggadadevanakote in Mysore district for more than 20 years
and runs schools, hospitals, livelihood centers and micro-credit programs for them. The
education programs of the organization have now begun to see a lot of success and new
generations of neo-literates are now emerging amongst the tribals.
12. Describe the socio-economic background of the children and their parents (e.g. education,
occupational). If any of your students are employed, please tell us about that as well.
Heggadadevanakote is the most underserved taluk in the district of Mysore. A large segment
both tribal and nontribal is faced with the unique set of problems arising out of resettlement
and inadequate rehabilitation. The population of the taluk is around 250,000 out of which
about 14000 are tribals. 20 % of the taluk is thickly wooded forest and forms part of both the
Bandipur and the Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park areas. The taluk is located
Southwest of Mysore and has three major reservoirs. The main economic activity is
agriculture. The chief crops are cotton as the cash crop, and ragi, which is the staple diet. As
the irrigation within the taluk is minimal, the produce depends on the vagaries of the rains.
Agriculture is the main breadwinning activity. The net profit that a farmer makes is further
decreased by the poor transport and market facilities prevalent. Many of the villages lack all
weather approach roads and very few of them have pucca roads linking them to the taluk
headquarters. Rains wreak havoc to the little road connection that does exist making many
places inaccessible during the monsoon months. The housing conditions are poor with bad
quality construction and very little repair work over the years.
The literacy rate prevailing in the taluk is 40% for men and around 20% for women. The
average annual income is around Rs.15000-18000 per family.
(Note: this data was taken from a 2005 proposal document on the Ashs projects page)
13. In addition to education, does your group provide any other services to the children in your
schools (e.g. food, health care, clothing, etc.)?
At the SVYM VTCL school (not part of current proposal), apart from the regular stategovernment prescribed syllabus, children are also exposed to yoga, computers, music, life-skill
development activities, competitive sports and cultural events. Besides excellent residential
facilities, all school children are provided wholesome and nutritious mid-day meals. The school
also has a publication wing that is involved in the production of novel learning materials. The
tribal museum in the school is an added attraction, showcasing tribal handicrafts, artifacts,
herbarium of tribal medicinal plants and other things unique to their culture.
14. Does your school have:
Its own building(s): ��Yes������ �No������ Number
Number and type of classrooms (e.g. Pukka):
Yes No
Yes No
Toilets
Playground
Toys
Chairs & Tables
Blackboard
Library
Drinking water
Electricity
Computers
Laboratory
Teaching aids (e.g. books/slates)
Yes No
15. How many children are currently enrolled in your school(s)?
Male
Female
Age Range
16. How many staff are employed at your schools?
Teachers
Minimum Qualifications
Other staff
17. Average distance the children travel to attend your school
18. How many children have gone through your program in the past five years and what are
they doing currently? Please tell us about their future education and employment
possibilities.
Not applicable to mobile science lab project
19. Do you help your students with their future education efforts after they have passed out of
your school?
Not applicable to mobile science lab project. However, a response related to SVYM's VTCL
school is provided to demonstrate that SVYM does help students with further education:
In the past, VTCL students have been helped with placement beyond their schooling. This is a
question that SVYM has constantly tried to address but comes with challenges.� SVYM does
have strong linkages with children who have graduated from the school. They encourage them
to pursue the further education in H D Kote town, Mysore and some have even been sent to
Bangalore. Occasionally students find city life very challenging after growing up in such a
remote forest area. Those not pursuing mainstream education have been trained in a few paramedical vocations and employed in the health projects of SVYM. Recently a Career Guidance
and Counselling center has been discussed to help and address this issue both amongst the
tribal and other non-tribal students in the area.
20. Are there any other schools (Kindergarten/Balwadi, Elementary school, High school) in
the area? If so, please list the schools and the range of classes each of them offers.
During the first 6 months, the vehicle will visit schools in the districts of Mysore,
Chamarajanagar, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Raichur and Bellary. The vehicle will remain in each
district for one month and cover at least 24 high schools in the district (1 per day X 6 days X
4 weeks). A total of 144 schools (7000 children) will be reached out under this program over
the 6 months.
After a study of the 6 districts, 24 high schools in each district will be identified. With the
help of local science teachers and resource persons a list of experiments pertaining to the
existing school curriculum in the physics, chemistry biology & life sciences, water &
sanitation, Health & hygiene will be prepared. This will be done as part of a workshop
involving as many stakeholders as possible.
Before any school is visited adequate publicity will be created locally and all nearby schools
will also be informed. Students from surrounding schools will also be encouraged to visit the
high school where the mobile lab will be parked.
21. Is your program different from that provided at these schools? Please explain.
In government schools the infrastructure and quality of teaching facilities is often lacking.
Moreover the teachers are not adequately trained in teaching science.One of the reasons for the
children underperforming in science has been the lack of proper laboratory facilities and
knowledge of easy-to-do and local science experiments amongst the teachers.
SVYM's proven track record in teaching rural and tribal youths will bring hands on,
experiential approach to science and maths learning.
22. Why are the children in your school/s not attending government/other schools in the local
area?
n/a
23. Do you try to involve the parents of the children in the running of the school (e.g. in
setting the syllabus etc.)? Please specify.
Not applicable for mobile science lab proposal, but please see SVYM-VTTRC proposal for a
direct and relevant answer to this quesiton.
24. What are your expansion plans for the future (e.g. adding more classes or schools)?
For the mobile science lab project, after a study of the 6 districts, 24 high schools in each
district will be identified. With the help of local science teachers and resource persons a list of
experiments pertaining to the existing school curriculum in the physics, chemistry biology &
life sciences, water & sanitation, Health & hygiene will be prepared. This will be done as part
of a workshop involving as many stakeholders as possible
25. Do you have any suggestions on how Asha can be a positive influence in changing the
education scenario in India?
SVYM and Asha have had a long and positive relationship.� Continued support is necessary
in the form of funding, educational materials, guidance and best practices, and moral support
on important educational/social justice related issues.
26. If possible, please provide us with the contact information of two individuals from your
community who can describe the impact of your program.
1
Name
Address
2.
Name
Address
Phone
Phone
27. Asha for Education requires reports from its projects every six months to continue funding.
Please provide the contact information for the person from your group who will be
responsible for these reports.
Name Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, President
Address
Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement
Hanchipura Road, Saragur
H D Kote Taluk, Mysore District - 571 121
Karnataka, INDIA
Phone Ph: 91 8228 - 265412 / 265413 / 265877
Mobile -91 94480 79611
Part III: Financial Details
Please feel free to attach any information such as annual reports, budgets etc.
28. What sources fund your group�s activities at present? List the sources and the current and
future funding from each of them. If these funds are meant for a specific part of your
group�s activities, please describe those restrictions.
SVYM will help mobilize support to procure the vehicle from local sources. This is expected to
cost around Rs. 1 million. (US $ 23000)
The SVYM mobile science lab project is currently seeking funding. Support is now sought to
modify and equip the vehicle and furnish the same with different science experiments. The
vehicle will have solar panels on top and generate the electricity required for the experiments.
Support is sought for setting up the mobile science lab and running the same for at least 6
months. Further support to sustain the program will be generated locally and from other
sources.
The following activities are planned:
Procurement of the vehicle
Workshop of science teachers and finalization of experiments to be conducted
Modifications and equipping the vehicle
Procurement of models, science kits etc
Recruitment and orientation of personnel
Finalization of schedules and commencement of mobile visits to schools
In general, on other projects SVYM has partnered with or received funding from myriad
sources. See www.svym.net and
http://www.svym.net/ABOUTUS/PARTNERSINPROGRESS.htm for more information.
29. Please provide us with details of your projected budget for the next 3 years:
Year(s)
Recurring costs
Fixed costs
30. Salary expenditure details:
Number
Salary Range
Teachers
Paid Staff
Volunteer Staff
31. Please provide details of the fixed costs of your school/s for the next three years.
32. How many of your students pay school fees? Please provide details.
n/a
33. What amount are you requesting from Asha, and for what specific purpose?
The Vehicle: Tata 407
Solar attachments and other modifications
Science experiments and models
Laptop, LCD projector
Total
Rs. 6.60 lakhs (on road)
Rs. 2 lakhs
Rs. 1.2 lakhs
Rs. 0.62 lakhs
Rs. 10.42 lakhs