𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗜𝗟𝗣 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗮𝗱𝘂 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

Learning and growth have been at the heart of ILP’s 16-year journey in Tamil Nadu. Today, its work reaches over 6 lakh students across 1,218 schools. Building on this progress, 170+ team members from 38 districts came together in Coimbatore for two days of shared learning, fresh ideas and valuable insights. The roots of this work, however, go back to a vision that began much earlier.

Venki Venkatesh, Co-founder of ILP, brought that beginning to life with a moving reflection on how a few individuals in the US came together after a study warned that every second person in India could be illiterate within a decade if no action was taken. That urgent response grew into a movement driven by purpose, passion and perseverance, now spanning 35 years in the US and 25 years in India.

The meet opened with a welcome address by A. L. Rangarajan, Country Manager, ILP, and inaugurated by Dr. M. Raveendran, Acting Vice Chancellor, TNAU, who highlighted the importance of practical learning, job readiness and education as a pathway to livelihood advancement. The sessions that followed brought in diverse perspectives on how these ideas translate into action on the ground.

Learning from the sector: Murali Menon (Be My Buddy), V. Sivaswamy (Kalvi Thunai) and Mohan Kalyan (former VP, Cognizant and ILP Advisor) shared perspectives on grassroots development, community engagement and the role of field teams.

Rethinking classroom learning: Balathandapani Ramasamy of Aatrral Edu, through his session The Art of Why, explored the connections between science, mathematics and philosophy, and highlighted the importance of student inquiry.

Perspectives beyond the classroom: D. Kumar of Olirum Erodu Foundation spoke about traditional approaches to learning, while Santhosh Kumar of Cognizant highlighted the role of corporate volunteering.

Alongside these external perspectives, ILP team members shared their own experiences and practical insights from working across programmes and regions.

Francis Simon, Senior Manager, M&E, presented Data with Soul, showing how everyday data can strengthen programme monitoring and decision-making. Long-time ILP volunteer Padmaja Sathyamoorthy shared practical ways to use AI responsibly in daily work.

Harish Krishnappa, Senior Program Manager, spoke about his 20-year journey with ILP and the lesson that stayed with him: “We don’t need to know everything when we start. We can learn along the way.” Suriyan R, Program Manager, reflected on his seven-plus years with ILP and how the trust and opportunities given to him helped him grow and take on greater responsibilities.

From the vision that set ILP in motion to the people who continue to take its work forward, the meet highlighted the value of collective effort. It was also an opportunity for the team to learn from one another, exchange ideas and draw inspiration from the many experiences that make up the ILP story.

#TeamBuilding #Education #LearningTogether #EducationfForAll