Agastya Annual Report - 2021-22

Better | Bigger | Bolder

New Frontiers of Learning Annual Report 2021-22

Table of Contents About Us Chairperson Speaks 2021-22 at a Glance Driving Education to New Frontiers - EPL Sessions - We-Learn - myagastya.education - Home Lab Kits - Parishodhana Kits - Acti-Learn 1.0

Campus Creativity Lab Science Centres Core Science Activity Centres Mobile Science Lab Lab-On-a-Bike Teacher Training Program Young Instructor Leaders Operation Vasantha Mini Innovation Hub and Mobile Innovation Bus iMobile Science and Innovation Fairs - Anveshana - Jignayasa - Vaakovaakyam

Our Impact - Quantitative Assessment - Qualitative Assessment

Our Partners Financials The Way Forward

Chairperson Speaks

At Agastya, we have constantly strived to anticipate and adapt to the ever-changing education landscape of the 21st century. Innovation has been our constant partner through this endeavour, and this year was no different. By shifting to phygital, digital and blended learning methods during the COVID-19 pandemic, we reenergized our mission to ensure that children and teachers learnt beyond the classroom.

With programs like ActiLearn 1.0, the myagastya.education website, the We-Learn app and Home-Lab kits we enabled children to experience Aah! Aha! And Ha-Ha! on their own, from the comfort of their homes. A delightful by-product of these initiatives was that we were able to involve and engage parents in their children’s education more than ever before.

They also form the base of Agastya 2.0, which marks a new chapter in Agastya’s journey, and reflects Agastya’s belief that every crisis gives birth to an opportunity. Agastya 2.0 sets an ambitious goal of reaching and impacting 100 million children by 2032. Towards this end, we are enhancing our existing programs and accelerating the new direction we adopted during the pandemic. By leveraging technology, we aim to create novel methods of self-learning and learner-centric teaching and learning.

Even as we explore new avenues of taking experiential learning to children and teachers, several studies have shown that significant learning gaps created by the pandemic still remain.

We are confident that the initiatives under Agastya 2.0 will not only help us bridge these gaps but also take learning to new frontiers.

As ever, we are thankful to our partners and supporters for their unwavering support and encouragement and look forward to embarking on this exciting new journey with renewed vigour and support.

Ramji Raghavan

About Us – Our Mission and Story Empowering children with experiential learning Agastya International Foundation started in 1999 with the mission to empower underprivileged children studying in resource-deprived schools with quality interactive learning. We single-mindedly strive to instil curiosity, creativity and confidence in children, irrespective of their social and financial circumstances. To fulfil our mission, we have pioneered several award-winning initiatives like the Science and Math centres, Mobile Learning Labs, Night Learning centres, as well as innovative digital learning platforms.

We constantly endeavour to innovate and reinvent our initiatives so that every child, even in the remotest of the village, continues to get access to quality learning. Driven by this belief, when the pandemic struck, we were one of the first to adapt our pedagogy and operations to support students, teachers and parents through challenging times.

The Agastya movement has emerged stronger than ever from Covid, with an ambitious goal of reaching 100 million children by 2032.

Since 1999, we have impacted

17 million students

and 300,000 across 22

teachers states in India.

Bringing to life the Agastya way of learning anchored in the concept of

’Aah! Aha! Ha-Ha!’

Promoted self learning by putting children at the centre of their education

New Frontiers of Learning Student-centric education through self-learning

In 2020, our swift and innovative response to the pandemic created a strong base to continue growing the Agastya movement. The timely tools we developed gave us a headstart to use 2021 as a year of innovation in service delivery.

From physical sessions, we smoothly transitioned to phygital and digital sessions making education more accessible and user-friendly during the pandemic. Phygital sessions are blended learning classes that use both physical and virtual tools and resources. Today, we are transforming education delivery to provide effective practical solutions across all our initiatives, from Science Centres to outreach programs like the Mobile Science Lab. To overcome interruptions in learning caused by repeated lockdowns, we empowered children to take charge of their own learning without being entirely dependent on teachers and school resources. This called for adding brand-new tools to our inventory, including new Home Lab Kits, Acti-Learn 1.0 books, Parishodhana Kits and more.

The pandemic has changed learning methods and pedagogies forever. From simply reacting to this change, we at Agastya have gone on to develop future-forward learning methodologies. We are building a sophisticated system of learning on the backbone of technology and innovation. We are committed to upholding our founding vision that children who face socio-economic challenges do not ever have to face a life without a quality education. We are grateful for the support of like-minded partners in enabling us to achieve our vision.

2021-22 – Our

Achievements, Learning and Growth

We-Learn App & myagastya.education website

Parishodhana Kits & Home Lab Kits for self-study during lockdown

Enhanced scope and reach of current programs

200,000+ copies of Acti-Learn 1.0 distributed

Future-Forward, together!

1,103,870

Phygital initiativescombining physical & digital learning

New Biology and Aviation Labs

at Campus Creativity Lab

students reached

23,528

28 pilot

blended learning programs

Mana Nestham Mobile Library and Eco Clubs in schools

Teachers trained

New Math,

Electronics and Covid-relevant content.

The prolonged onslaught of the pandemic has called on us to become bolder and more creative with our programs. It has spurred us to develop innovative solutions so quality learning continues to remain accessible to students, including those isolated in remote villages.

In 2021-22, we pushed harder to harness the power of technology to launch a spate of unique blended learning concepts and creative digital learning platforms. We focussed on empowering children isolated in lockdowns by facilitating self-study options at home.

2021-22 – Our

Achievements, Learning and Growth

One of the key initiatives this year to place children at the centre of their learning has been the launch of the book Acti-Learn 1.0. With more than eighty hands-on activities, the book aims to engage children and inspire their curiosity and creativity. Acti-Learn 1.0 has been released in Kannada, English, Telugu and Hindi and has reached 200,000+ children people in more than ten states. We are collaborating with the governments of Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and Haryana to distribute the book in respective state government schools.

To take forward the concept of self-study amongst children, we introduced Parishodhana Kits and Home Lab Kits that children could use in their homes while attending online classes. This complemented their digital learning sessions, making it easier to understand complex concepts on their own.

The Agastya pioneering spirit to find solutions during the challenging Covid times drove us to launch two digital platforms: the We-Learn app and myagastya.education website. These platforms promote self-learning and enable students to take their education into their own hands. They contain modules with easy-to-do activities and experiments connected to the NCERT syllabus. We also trained teachers in the effective use of these platforms.

While we innovated with technology, we continued to expand the scope and reach of our current programs. We capitalised on the need of the hour to launch 28 pilot phygital (or blended) learning programs across our various initiatives, including Science Centres, Mobile Science Labs and Lab-on-a-Bike. Along with face-to-face sessions, our instructors also used digital platforms and applications to provide a rounded educational experience.

We expanded our Campus Creativity Lab, the seat of Agastya’s innovation and operations, by adding two more specialised learning spaces. The campus now boasts of an innovative biomimetic structure with three biology labs and an exclusive Aviation centre. We also started new outreach programs at the campus in the form of Eco-clubs in schools and Mana Nestham, a mobile school library.

To enhance learning outcomes, we also augmented the syllabus in our current initiatives to include math, electronics content, and modules on COVID-19.

Today, backed by innovation, we are driving education to new frontiers. We are inspired to not only create impact but ignite hope in the hearts of students. Together with our partners and supporters, we are taking confident and bold strides in the new normal, stepping towards a world where learning is possible without any boundaries and restrictions.

From Physical

to Digital and Phygital

We took the challenge thrown by COVID-19 head-on to identify and start innovative technology-based learning solutions as well as strengthen the reach and impact of our existing programs. We implemented novel ways to deliver education so students and teachers could effectively navigate the uncertainties caused by the pandemic and access quality learning even in the most difficult of times.

“EPL classes were an answer to my prayers when physical classes were no longer an option. The day EPL sessions started was the best day of my life.."

- Archana Kumari Class 9

EPL - Explore, Play, Learn

Learning beyond the classroom

Google Meet Sessions

Pilot

Phygital Learning Programs

Our Explore, Play, Learn (EPL) program was launched in 2020 as a WhatsApp-based digital initiative whereby modules were created and circulated to students via audio, texts, pictures, videos and links. Driven by its success, the program was scaled to facilitate deeper engagement with children through live online classes on Google Meet. EPL promotes the self-learning capacities of students by helping them to learn using household materials, DIY experiments, interactions with each other and dialogues with experts.

Downloadable free-of-cost from the Google play store, the We-Learn app uses multisensory learning methods, including touch screen and audio-visual technology, to cater to learning needs in multiple regional languages.

Strengthening scope and reach in 2021-22 We focussed on standardising the syllabus for online sessions. We experimented with combinations of multiple platforms and activities to arrive at the optimum grade relevant content.

Our team developed hybrid learning models with DIY activities that can be done digitally as well as carried out face-to-face.

Adding Google Meet sessions allowed for greater interaction and two-way learning for students, as well as more effective instruction by teachers.

We-Learn App Free-of-cost digital content in regional languages

Bolstering We Learn App in 2021-22 - Strengthened content by adding 100+ math and health modules to the existing science modules - Currently integrating user-friendly features to enable students and instructors to record relevant data within the app and track progress

10,000 downloads in multiple languages

Home Lab Kits

myagastya.education Website Open-source digital learning

Science can be engaging even at home “Agastya activities and experiments help in understanding the scientific concepts, and it increases the knowledge” - Pooja Vishe Class 7

We launched the myagastya.education website in 2021-22 to create a one-stop online resource where students can continue to learn, create and explore anywhere, anytime.

With free-of-cost interactive modules in science, math, health and the environment, the E-learning website allows children to take charge of their own learning.

Acti-Learn 1.0 Learning by doing

To uplift digital at-home learning, we conceptualised the Home Lab Kit initiative to keep children engaged and energised. Consisting of a guidebook and relevant materials, the kit allows children to create 50+ activities and experiment by themselves.

The program makes online learning less isolating and more impactful.

33,683 children reached

200,000 books distributed

Parishodhana Kits Promoting learning by observing

A key highlight this year is the launch of the Acti-Learn 1.0 book. Born out of the need to promote self-learning at a low cost amongst children in the pandemic, Acti-Learn 1.0 works as a unique DIY manual for STEM+ learning at home. It is a compilation of activities and experiments that children can do with everyday materials around the house.

Targeted at children from grades six to eight, the book includes 80+ activities based on themes from the NCERT curriculum and is available in Kannada, English, Telugu and Hindi. We are collaborating with the governments of Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and Haryana to distribute the book in respective state government schools.

We launched the Parishodhana Kit in the pandemic to engage children who did not have access to digital resources and the internet. The initiative runs on the premise of connecting children with science by whetting their curiosity through simple everyday observations.

The kits include general science, mathematics, art activities, stories, puzzles and more. They are designed to encourage children to practice self-learning and hands-on learning and make them interested, observant and analytical.

Campus Creativity Lab The foundation of learning

Located at the intersection of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, the 172-acre Creativity Campus at Kuppam is Agastya’s base for educational initiatives. It is the seat of innovation, where many of Agastya’s pathbreaking initia-tives are conceptualised and tested before being rolled out in the field. The campus houses exclusive spaces dedi-cated to studying subjects ranging from biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics to astronomy, ecology, art, and media.

Thousands of students and teachers experi-ence hands-on learning each year and draw inspiration from the impressive display of exhibits, models, and exper-iments.

New Campus Additions in 2021-22 Expanding the Bio-Discovery Centre: We added a learning space constructed in biomimetic architectural style to the existing Bio-Discovery Centre. The new building houses three biology labs to engage children in interactive, hands-on, and exploratory life sciences education. The labs include a life sciences lab, an audio-visual centre themed “Let Us Investigate”, a Neurobiology lab, and an open space that showcases the evolution theory in a gamified format.

Building an Aviation Centre: The addition of the new Aviation Centre at the campus aims to spark an interest among children in all things aviation-related. The building houses interactive exhibits and activities with a narrative that teaches them basic concepts in aviation.

This centre has two major components: - Learning centre: The exhibits in the learning centre include the history of aviation, biomimicry, aerodynamics, and controls and stability.

- Hands-on activity-based science and technology lab: The lab will be a specialised place for students to undertake a wide variety of hands-on aerospace activities and experiments.

3 new biology labs

41,509 children reached through face-to-face and outreach sessions

34,000+ children

reached through Online Digital Classes

13,680 children reached through Agastya Digital Engagement

Mana Nestham

Mobile School Library

Eco Clubs and Mitree program in schools

Enhancing Education at the Campus in 2021-22 Launched Agastya Digital Engagement (ADE) program: We started the ADE program on campus through WhatsApp in April 2021. All our instructors maintained a WhatsApp group each where lab activities were posted daily.

Children could conduct these activities from the safety of their houses and continue experiencing hands-on learning with us. The program ran successfully till August 2021 post which face-to-face sessions restarted.

Increasing outreach activities in 2021-22: To make books accessible during the pandemic, we started the Mana Nestham program, a mobile school library. This book-equipped van travels to schools and villages that lack a local library and provides children access to books. It also acts as a book-lending space, inculcating reading habits in the community.

Launched Eco-Clubs & Mitree Program: This year, our environmental wing started eco-clubs in schools around the campus. It aims to connect students with nature through observing and conserving local biodiversity in and around their schools. To create a sense of purpose amongst students in the eco-club, we also launched the ‘Mitree’ program. As part of this, children take eco-friendly actions in small groups in their schools or communities.

Science Centres Experiential science learning for all

328,000+

exposures* across

72 centres

Pilot Phygital

Learning Programs

First Math Centre Opened

Promoted

Parent engagement

*An exposure is used to measure Agastya’s reach. It can be defined as the number of times Agastya has face-to-face interactions with an individual (child/teacher/community member).

Each exposure is 2-3 hours in duration

Our Science Centres, located in resource-deprived urban and semi-urban areas, serve the unmet need for hands-on and experiential learning. Here, students and teachers conduct experiments, work with models, and get trained to observe and analyse.

“I would like to continue with the online session because it’s giving me so much knowledge in the form of video clips, Microsoft Powerpoint presentations, worksheets, activities, and models."

- Bhagya Kumbar Class 7

Strengthening scope and reach in 2021-22 Expanding the syllabus – To provide a well-rounded learning opportunity to students, we extended the core syllabus of our Science Centres to include math.

We also established our first Math Centre in Chennai.

Engaging Parents – We believe that deeper parent involvement leads to enhanced learning outcomes for children. To this end, we invited parents to student-led science fairs to gauge the progress made by their children and support their child’s interests better.

To align with our goal of innovating service delivery, we launched pilot phygital learning programs in 2021-22. In addition to face-to-face sessions, our instructors also used online platforms and applications to provide a well-rounded educational experience. We also trained teachers to use Agastya’s We-Learn app.

Core Science Activity Centres Model-based interactive learning

“I have seen an improvement in my grades and confidence after attending Agastya digital sessions conducted by CSAC. I am now confident to answer any question related to science.."

- Basavraj Y Meti, Class 10

1800+

children reached

A sophisticated extension of our Science Centres, the five Core Science Activity Centres (CSACs) in Karnataka, advance learning with jumbo-sized models and dedicated labs for each subject. With year-long seminars, workshops and sessions, these Centres are the learning ground for aspiring scientists and researchers.

Strengthening scope and reach in 2021-22

Digitising Learning in 2021-22

- The CSACs ran a Sunday column in a local newspaper, Sandarshan News, for four months.

Launched TV Show: To increase our reach via mass electronic media, we started a program on the FM TV channel, Bijapur, called Chinnara Chilipili that broadcasts hands-on activities for students and teachers every weekend.

- Started a Science Magazine circulated to 5000 teachers.

Conducted Virtual Sessions: A range of online sessions were held to train teachers, support students in class 10, as well as summer camps, to keep students engaged in the pandemic

Mobile Science Lab Taking hands-on learning to children

Our Mobile Science Lab (MSL) program is guided by the passionate belief that no child should be denied quality learning, even those who cannot come to Agastya. Driven by this goal, our network of vans, equipped with science models and trained instructors, takes science labs to under-resourced schools. With interactive lessons in schools and engaging visits to communities, MSLs are blazing the trail for bringing knowledge within reach of all.

Digitising Learning in 2021-22

- Added phygital and electronic components to the syllabus to improve electronic literacy amongst children - Our instructors trained teachers to use the We-Learn App and distributed the ActiLearn 1.0 books.

Expanding the syllabus : Electronics component: This was added to the MSL curriculum with the view to familiarise children with the basics of electronics. This forms the basis of their understanding of everyday electronic devices.

Design-thinking: In collaboration with the Mini Innovation Hub, we equipped MSLs with design-thinking kits, which help children understand design concepts and develop problem-solving skills.

Engaging Parents: Through out phygital and digital sessions, we were also able to engage parents and encourage them to be more involved in their children’s learning. We also organised special events and workshops for parents in several states.

“When I was in the sixth standard, one of the teachers from Agastya came and delivered a lecture on astronomy using models. It was the first time I listened to a session with so much interest and concentration; that which I remember even now" - Gayathri Shekhar Class 8

157 Mobile

Science Labs

4,130,727 exposures

Pilot

Phygital Learning Programs

Added Electronics, Math and Design Thinking

Lab-on-a-Bike To Reach The Unreachable

Digitising Learning Our Lab-on-a-Bike (LOB) program exemplifies our relentless commitment to take education to the country's remotest corners. In non-motorable terrains, where MSLs cannot reach, the LOB project takes over to ensure learning does not stop. A trained Agastya instructor, with a box full of science models, rides deep into the countryside to reach students. LOBs are also equipped with tablets to train teachers to conduct digital sessions.

in 2021-22

- Launched several pilot phygital programs to transition to a blended way of learning.

- Trained teachers to use Agastya’s We-Learn app to ensure learning continues even after LOB sessions are completed.

41 Labs-on-a-bike

500,000+ exposures

Strengthening scope and reach in 2021-22 - Started Electronics Lab-on-a-Bike: This new addition to the math and science LOBs reached 750 children in Bengaluru and Gurgaon each in its first year of operations. The program is designed on a two-year activity-based syllabus to introduce children to electronics and computing.

The program also includes tech fairs to encourage creativity and innovation.

- Added components on sustainability: We launched 15 new LOBs and added renewable energy components to the LOB syllabus, focusing on the environment and sustainability.

Reached 1500+ children through Electronics LOB

Added Renewable Energy Concepts

Acharya Initiative

Teacher Training Program 1,075

Taking Constructivism into classrooms

teachers trained

!

!

Digitising Learning in 2021-22 Launched Saturday Forum: This initiative was born out of the success of the Online Make Your Lab program launched in 2020 in response to Covid. The Saturday Forum is a freeform online meet-up for teachers that have previously attended our sessions. The Forum provides live demonstrations by our instructors on new kits and technology. It also gives a platform for teachers to showcase any new modules they have developed with our help and encourage other teachers.

The Saturday Forum has enabled us to maintain continued connections with teachers.

Strengthening scope and reach in 2021-22 - Upgrading Teaching methodologies: We trained teachers in effec- tively using our Home Lab Kits, ActiLearn 1.0 book and the We-Learn app.

These resources help teachers improve the quality of instruction in classrooms with the use of hands-on learning.

- We conducted Mega MYOL sessions, with 150 teachers divided into groups of 6-7 per event.

Online Meets through Saturday Forum

Trained teachers to

Acti-Learn 1.0, WeLearn App, Home Lab Kits

use

MYOL Mega Sessions

Young Instructor Leader Nurturing a generation of role models and mentors

Our Young Instructor Leader (YIL) programme was launched with the intent to introduce peer-to-peer learning. Each year, we identify children with leadership abilities and train them to mentor their fellow students. The project not only rewards the potential of capable students by building their confidence but also provides inspiring role models for other children.

Digitising Learning in 2021-22 Launched Blended Learning Curriculum: Revamped the program to integrate a blended learning approach with physical and digital modules. In its new avatar, the program entails a three-year journey that starts with creating a foundation for observation and experimentation. It ends with the young leaders developing a socially beneficial project and learning through it.

“I had a fear of learning science and mathematics, but after attending Agastya’s YIL classes, the fear has gone, and I'm enjoying working on the science activities and teaching them to my classmates."

- Jamal Ahmad, Young Instructor Leader Class 7 6.)243/'2

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10,860

11 YIL Camps

New Curriculum

children impacted

across India

piloted with 3300 children

Operation Vasantha Because learning should never remain incomplete

256

OV Centres

Operation Vasantha (OV) is a ray of hope for children and adults who are forced to choose earning over learning due to socioeconomic reasons. The Night Community Centers that we run with the help of trained community volunteers enable children and youth with little to no access to quality traditional schooling. Sessions in arts and crafts, quizzes, reading and hygiene enhance both the knowledge and interpersonal skills and act as a safe space for after-school learning.

Strengthening scope and reach in 2021-22

10,323

children reached

- Developed OV Kits: To cater to the increasing need for resources to aid hands-on learning, we developed OV kits that include one-time use science materials.

- Conducted OV Fairs & Engaged Parents: We con ducted OV Fairs across all centres to provide a platform for children to display their learning through projects and models. It also enabled parents to recognise the progress made by their children. By promoting parent engagement, we strive to inspire parents to re-enrol their children in the formal education system.

Mini Innovation Hubs and Mobile Innovation Bus

Our Mini Innovations Hubs (MIH) tap into children's inherent curiosity.

Children are taught to identify simple problems in their schools and communities. They are then taken through a design-thinking process that helps them solve the issues by creating models and prototypes. The Mobile Innovation Bus (MIB) extends this concept to reach children across locations. The bus goes from school to school with our instructors encouraging children to think, ask questions, find answers and solve problems.

- Launched Maker Kit: With module-wise lesson plans and materials list, the Maker Kits introduce children to creative thinking in areas like woodworking and electronic devices. Children are encouraged to conduct small-scale projects that solve real-world problems.

- Two projects made using the Maker Kit won the INSPIRE award! a flagship program of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, that fosters and rewards creativity and innovative thinking amongst school students.

- Launched Initiative with MakerGhat, Mumbai: Under the initiative, we created and operated Maker Labs in schools and communities to offer youth: (1) a safe space to experiment in areas with high failure rates, (2) material resources, tools, and funds to invest in ideas, and (3) local role models and mentors who inspire a maker mindset among youth.

- Trained Teachers: Our teachers undertook workshops in ideation and problem-solving conducted by The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), a motoring club in Australia.

126,000 Exposures

340 Prototypes

12 Innovation Fairs

Award-winning projects created with

Maker Kits

iMOBILE Enhancing digital literacy

Our iMobile (i-ML) initiative builds digital literacy and skills amongst students studying in schools with limited access to computer labs and equipment. Students are taught grade-relevant content in technology and science using computers, tablets and mobiles. Children are taught programming, coding and AI topics that they would otherwise not have opportunities to get familiar with.

Digitising learning in 2021-22 Standardising Phygital Curriculum: The i-ML program focused on standardising the blended learning format using android-based learning systems and applications.

The previously one-year curriculum was made more comprehensive and fleshed out over two years to integrate phygital modules.

11

i-Mobile Labs

12,000

exposures

New

Phygital Modules

Anveshana This initiative harnesses the power of collaboration and turns innovation into a mass movement by pairing engineering students with government school students.

This year, in its virtual avatar, the fest drew 350+ registrations across Karnataka, Chittoor, Delhi NCR and Hyderabad. Some of the winning projects of Anveshana 2021 include path breaking innovations such as the detection of obstacles on railway tracks, a well-being app called Sapto, and an armed robot that can be used in defence and security.

Jignyasa Jignyasa is a state-level science model-making competition organised by Agastya to ignite the spark of curiosity in children and teachers. Jignyasa, which means ‘the inner urge to learn’, works to cultivate a hunger for knowledge by allowing students to work, learn, build and exhibit models of their making. This is complemented with various interactive sessions, workshops, and activities to inculcate a scientific methodology.

This year, the event saw the most extensive participation of all years, with teams taking part from India and Bangladesh. In 30 events, 22 catering to children and 8 to teachers, participants competed in projects based on the theme, UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Vaakovaakyam This quiz-based event brings to life Agastya’s foundational premise: 'learning by questioning. The aim is to win not by answering alone but by asking the right questions. For instance, in the self-inquiry edition, a topic/statement is provided as a starting point, and participants must come up with pertinent questions and answers within a stipulated time.

This year, the event was also held for Agastya instructors, who were recognised for their ability to ask the most relevant questions.

To continue spreading the spirit of curiosity, creativity, and confidence, we have come up with platforms where children can showcase their learning and talents. These events adhere to enhancing Agastya’s core philosophies through collaboration and healthy competition.

Fairs and

Quizzes

With numerous programs operating across 22 states, Agastya has always strived to ensure the quality of education remains intact regardless of how much we broaden our horizons. Thus it is imperative that we continuously assess the impact of our initiatives.

In a standardised framework designed by IIM Bangalore, we use digital data capturing methods to measure the effect of Agastya exposures. The parameters quantified are awareness, curiosity, confidence, and science knowledge.

These parameters are tested across classes, regions, and gender to check which group or area needs more focus in the next cycle. We strive for continuous improvement, and this impact assessment method helps us arrive at conclusive figures.

Our Impact

24,052

Sample size

You can see the overall results in the figure below. They are calculated both before (pre) and after (post) Agastya sessions to compare improvement. We are proud to announce that improvements were seen in all parameters across all groups tested.

Pre

Post

Improvement over Baseline

Awareness

65%

72%

9.6%

Curiosity

62%

70%

12%

Confidence

66%

73%

10.6%

Subject Knowledge

21%

32%

52.9%

Average % Score

Fig 1: OVERALL IMPROVEMENT SCORE

Average % Score

Fig 2: GENDER WISE SCORES

SCIENCE GENDER

Sample Size

AWARENESS

CURIOSITY

CONFIDENCE

Pre

Post

Post

Post

Post

(Endline)

(Baseline)

(Endline)

Improvement over Baseline

Pre

(Baseline)

Improvement over Baseline

Pre

(Endline)

Improvement over Baseline

Pre

(Baseline)

(Baseline)

(Endline)

Improvement over Baseline

Boy

10,845

20%

32%

61%

65%

72%

10.5%

62%

70%

12.9%

65%

72%

11.7%

Girl

13,207

22%

32%

47%

66%

72%

8.9%

63%

70%

11.2%

66%

73%

9.7%

Qualitative Assessment Agastya programs are focused on bringing about behavioural and attitudinal changes in children. We assess the impact of our programs by mapping these changes via a behavioural matrix. The indicators used are: Persistence, leadership, generation of ideas, active participation, linking ideas, and teamwork. Using these indicators, we test for behavioural shifts such as fear to confidence, yes to why, looking to observing, passiveness to exploring, and textbook to hands-on learning.

In 2021-22, we observed 511 instances in 105 case stories. The following pi charts highlight the indicators and the behavioural shifts observed. Apart from these, other major outcomes observed were a. A shift in personal behaviour (improvement in daily routine), and b. A change in learning approach, resulting in a better understanding of concepts.

Persistence 75%

Indicators

Teamwork and Leadership 12% Ideation 13%

Fear to Confidence 27%

Textbook to Hands-on 28%

Change in personal behaviour - 38% Change in learning approach - 27%

Behaviour Shifts

Creating science experiments - 18%

Yes to Why 10% Passiveness to Exploring 27%

Looking to Observing 8%

Communication and..................... other attributes - 11.15% Problem Solving-

5.6%

Other Outcomes

Our Partners 2021-22

Adobe Systems India Private Limited Aequs Foundation AeroSpace Processing India Private Limited Agricultural Development Trust ALIG Educational and Welfare Society Alok Oberoi Foundation AMM Arunachalam Trust ANZ Support Services India Private Limited Arogya World Association Saikorian Autonomy Software Asia Private Limited Balrampur Chini Mills Limited Bandla Bapaiah Vidya Samsthala Committee Biocon Foundation Bosch Limited Capital Business Systems Private Ltd

Carl Bechem Lubricants India Private Ltd Cipla Foundation Cognizant Foundation Deshpande Foundation Dow Chemical International Private Limited Dr. Daulat Singh Kothari Institute for Research and Education EdelGive Foundation Expleo Technologies India Pvt Limited FarmIndia Impex Private Limited Fractal Analytics Private Limited GE Healthcare Global Private Limited Give Foundation GIVE2ASIA Herbalife International India Private Limited Hero MotoCorp Limited IIMAA (HYD) Charitable Trust IIMPACT Infosys Foundation Intuitive Surgical India Private Limited J.B. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited Jalaram Baba Children's Nest Education Private Limited JK Group Inc. K C Mahindra Education Trust KLA Tencor Foundation (KT Foundation) Kurnool Municipal Corporation

L&T Technology Services Limited Larsen & Toubro Public Charitable Trust Laurus Labs Limited Lenovo India Private Limited LSI India Research & Development Private Limited Mangalam Seva Nidhi Micro Focus Software Solutions India Private Limited Mindtree Foundation Mytrah Adarsh Power Private Limited Mytrah Energy (India) Private Limited Mytrah Vayu Pennar Private Limited National Thermal Power Corporation Limited NICE Interactive Solutions India Private Limited NortonLifeLock India Private Limited Omega Healthcare Management Services Pvt Ltd Origin Learning Solutions Private Limited Persistent Foundation Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited Pidilite Industries Limited PolyFluoro Ltd R Jhunjhunwala Foundation Ranger Apparel Export Private Limited Rolls - Royce India Private Limited Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) Limited Rural India Supporting Trust Saint-Gobain India Foundation SanDisk India Device Design Centre Private Limited SBI Funds Management Limited Sevakarma Charity Trust Shoft Shipyard Private Limited Siemens Technology & Services Private Limited Sonata Software Solutions Limited Sony India Software Centre Private Limited Taegutec India Pvt. Ltd Tata Power Community Development Trust Texas Instruments (India) Private Limited The Press Trust of India Limited The State Project Director, Govt of Karnataka Titan Company Limited VFS Global Services Private Limited Visteon Technical and Services Center Private Limited W S Atkins (India) Private Limited Wipfli India LLP

And many more generous individuals

Financials

The Way

Forward

The Agastya movement is bounding forward with renewed vigour following the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring new avenues of learning created during the lockdowns. We have established an exciting goal of reaching 83 million children by 2032, in addition to the 17 million we have already reached. With this, we hope that the number of children impacted by Agastya’s programs will become 100 million.

We believe the way to achieve this goal is through reliance on technology and creating processes that promote direct, indirect, facilitated and self-learning. Programs like Young Instructor Leader (peer-to-peer learn-ing), Acti-Learn 1.0, We-Learn and other blended and digital learning programs will play a key role in increasing Agastya’s scale through indi-rect exposures. We are determined to ensure that the richness or quality of the programs also increases along with the increase in scale. The intensity and frequency of the exposures are also set to go up in the coming months.

We plan on expanding our beneficiaries to include children from government schools that haven’t already benefited from Agastya’s programs and low-cost private schools. We are also in the process of designing and reworking programs to focus on early learning.

As we complete the transition into a full-fledged movement, we are also enabling the transformation of our people from instructors or managers to agents of change who can leverage teachers, volunteers and technology to deliver better quality education to the masses and enhance the impact of Agastya.

www.agastya.org

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