Events

Over four months, that dream slowly took shape through meetings, ideas, contributions, and people coming together. And what emerged at Middle School Kachhupani in Simdega, Jharkhand, under the *PALASH Multilingual Education Programme, became much more than a school museum and library. It became a space where children could see themselves and their world reflected in learning — through their language, culture, and stories.

What makes this journey meaningful is not just what was built, but how it was built. It grew through the collective efforts of the school, community, government, and Language and Learning Foundation (LLF), with local

𝟮𝟮,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝟮𝟬𝟴 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, 𝟯𝟴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘀.

These are not just numbers on paper, but the beginning of a larger story, one of curiosity, confidence, and hands-on learning unfolding across Tamil Nadu.

Organized between January and February 2026, the 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 were conducted under the Department of School Education,Govt of TN, Handson Science and Electronics Project, in collaboration with the vision of Anaivarukkum IITM by Indian Institute of Technology, Madras bringing experiential learning out of textbooks and into classrooms.

As the fairs unfolded, schools began to feel

For many children, school readiness begins with small moments inside an Anganwadi — moments like Geetha proudly pointing at a red ball and shouting, “Red!” Earlier, she would quietly sit in a corner and simply observe everyone around her. Beside her, Anil carefully separates circles from squares, grinning proudly at his little victory.

In another corner, little Gayathri sings a rhyme loudly with full actions, while Harish sits wide-eyed through story time, quickly raising his hand each time the teacher asks a question. In these small moments, they are slowly getting ready for school.

At an Anganwadi, school readiness is not about

Sustainable change in education rarely comes from one-off interventions. It emerges when intent is backed by continuity, learning, and course correction.

The 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 (𝗞𝗠𝗦𝗣𝗣), 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗦𝗪 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, is a strong example of this approach in action across 100+ schools in Chitradurga district of Karnataka.

Designed to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), improve enrollment and retention, and build stronger school ecosystems, the program brings together capacity building, infrastructure, holistic learning, and community engagement.

Within this, the Child Friendly Library (CFL) initiative by ILP offers an important insight: impact compounds when programs are phased, not rushed.

𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭 focused on

In Kiratpura, Rampur, Bond, Achatt, and Nayagaon villages of Madhya Pradesh, conversations about education and future careers are beginning to change.

Until recently, many parents said they didn’t know how to guide their children beyond school. Career choices felt distant and unclear, and decisions were often made with limited information. Today, that uncertainty is slowly giving way to awareness.

Through the Community Career Guidance Program, children are being introduced to different career paths, and just as importantly, parents are part of that journey.

Families speak about how these sessions have opened up new possibilities, helping them understand what lies ahead after school and

Walk into any Anganwadi, and you’ll often find children gathered around simple, colorful objects—sorting, stacking, matching, and laughing as they learn.

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 (𝗧𝗟𝗠𝘀) are at the heart of this experience. They help young children make sense of the world by turning ideas into something they can see and touch. At that age, learning isn’t abstract—it’s physical, playful, and deeply interactive.

What makes TLMs in Anganwadis meaningful is that almost all of them are 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀. Using everyday materials like cardboard, color papers, fabric scraps, seeds, sticks, and bottle caps, teachers create tools that reflect the child’s environment. A counting

𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗚𝗢𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲

For a long time, 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗵𝘀𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮 has remained on the margins. An isolated tribal pocket in Odisha where access to quality education has not always kept pace with ground realities.

Over the past few years, ILP, along with its NGO partner UAC, has been working in this context—strengthening the way learning unfolds for children in government schools in this tribal hamlet.

When this work was recently shared with 𝗥𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮 𝗞𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹, 𝗦𝘂𝗯-𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮, it was presented not as a one-time effort, but as a

As part of the *𝗘𝗸 𝗕𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗕𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺, Ms. Bindu Sharma from the 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱, along with her team, visited ZPHS Raidurg School in Telangana where ILP is implementing its 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 (𝗦𝗧𝗣).

During their visit, the Haryana Education Board was introduced to how multiple ILP initiatives come together within the school—science kits that make concepts tangible, experiential learning that moves beyond rote methods, and ICT integrated into everyday teaching to make learning more interactive and accessible. This is complemented by structured career guidance that helps students explore pathways ahead and make

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

At a government lower primary school in Bagalkot district, Karnataka, responsibility doesn’t rest with the school alone—it is shared by the entire community.

With 69 children enrolled, the school reflects what happens when parents and the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) stay consistently involved, not just in moments of need, but in everyday functioning.

SDMC members regularly engage with parents, encourage enrolment, and keep track of attendance, mid-day meals, teacher presence, and school resources. Parents, in turn, stay in touch with teachers to understand how their children are progressing.

This consistent involvement led to the school being

Across 38 districts in Tamil Nadu, we began to see the answer come alive in classrooms, in conversations, and in the way, science started to feel more real.

572 science teachers from 253 government higher secondary schools came together for a training led by the ILP, in collaboration with the Department of Education, Tamil Nadu, and aligned with 𝗜𝗜𝗧 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘀’ 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗿𝘂𝗸𝗸𝘂𝗺 𝗜𝗜𝗧𝗠 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

But what truly stood out wasn’t how the Science Kit was introduced but how the teachers engaged with it.

They didn’t just listen.
They explored.
They experimented.
They asked questions, made observations, and discovered how simple concepts could be turned into powerful learning

Across 40 village learning centres in Odisha, children begin their day with a small but important step, showing up to learn.

Most come from nearby hamlets, often with gaps in their foundational skills. Some struggle to read simple text in Odia, others find basic math difficult. Before they can keep up with their grade-level curriculum, they need a chance to catch up.

This is where the Vidya Saathis come in.

Each Vidya Saathi works closely with a group of 20–35 children, following a simple, structured plan. 70 hours of focused learning spread over 12 weeks. Instead of rushing ahead, they start where the

In Bairawadgi village in Karnataka, an Anganwadi has quietly come a long way.

Not long ago, it ran out of a rented space, with just 7–8 children attending. For many families, it didn’t feel like something they needed to prioritise. Awareness was low, and the centre was simply there—but not fully valued.

The change didn’t come overnight. It started with small, steady steps.

Through Pre-School Education (PSE) training, the Anganwadi teachers started bringing more intention into everyday activities—understanding how children learn, not just what to teach. At the same time, regular meetings with parents and the community opened up conversations around early childhood