EDUCATION
01
MISSION
To provide an active learning environment for underprivileged preschool children, promoting academic, social, and emotional development thus enabling each of them to reach their full potential.
02
VISION
Well nurtured children with full opportunities for growth and development, in a safe and protective environment, thereby strengthening families and having positive outcomes on families, their communities and their neighborhoods.
03
GOALS
To provide an engaging and interactive learning environment for underprivileged preschool students that fosters curiosity, creativity, self-confidence and respect for others.
OUR STORY
Despite the Right to Education Act of 2009, formal pre-primary education for underprivileged children remained inaccessible. In response, DSS launched an information campaign in Mumbai by introducing RTE Act Information RATH, inaugurated by the then Governor. Travelling from Colaba to Dahisar's slum areas, we assisted underprivileged parents with form-filling and securing admissions in private schools under the 25% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
Despite facing resistance from private schools, we managed to secure admissions for 460 students, leaving 18 without admission. This prompted the inception of our "RTE Schools INDIA" in 2010 to bridge the gap between available seats in private schools and applications by EWS students.
In 2014, we were allotted 3 schools by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to run with CSR funds to be raised by us.
Mrs. Karkera saw potential for growth and offered to secure funding from her friends and supporters in Memphis, USA, for educating 100 pre-primary students. Thus, started our long-term collaboration called Memphis- Mumbai Connect pre-schools.
In most municipal schools, the medium of instruction is Hindi or Marathi, the local language. However, for students to get ahead in life, parents have become very cognizant of the fact that their child needs to be in an English medium school, which they cannot afford. Hence, the goal is to make children proficient in English, Math among others. Our goal has been to prepare our students for admission into mainstream schools.
TIMELINE
2010
RTE Schools started with 18 students from a garage.
2012
Moved to a rented premises with 52 students.
2013
The school has grown to 80 students.
2014
In July 2014, schools in three different locations were started for a total of 100 students with the launch of Memphis-Mumbai Connect.
2015
The school has grown to 160 students. We are in several locations in Goregaon and have one school in Chembur.
Our student population has doubled to 344.
2016
Our student population is 558.
2017
2018
Our schools continue to thrive and BMC offered us 5 more schools - totaling to 8.
2020
The growth with funds raised in Memphis has been phenomenal with 700 students schooled in 2019-2020 school year.
2021
We have enrolled 960 students in the various locations this school year.
2022 - 2023
Enrollment is at 1100
We have come a long way from 18 to 1100 students!
2020-2021 COVID RESPONSE
Our students belong to an impoverished area and none own computers. We had to innovate so that their education would not suffer. We went to an online mode. Supplies were distributed to the students to take home and teachers started developing their lesson plans and sharing with their students through the use of cell phones. Through cell phones, parents took pictures of the students work/ craft etc. and forwarded to teachers to check. There were some students who did not have access to cell phones. A computer center was set up for these students to do their learning.
