Koru Foundation

The vision statement of KORU Foundation:  To build a better future for all; by creating a sustainable, equitable, inclusive, and responsible society; and by cultivating understanding and balance among diverse communities.

The mission statement of KORU Foundation: To create changemakers from vulnerable and marginalized sections of the community/ representatives of the community to initiate a chain reaction to create a future generation worthy of this largest democracy.

The mission statement of educational Project Udaan: To enable the youth from the vulnerable and marginalized sections of the community to be changemakers who can bridge educational inequity.

Core Values of the organization:

1. Treating others with empathy and understanding is fundamental to our interactions and relationships.

2. We are committed to strengthening public systems by empowering individuals and communities.

3. We strive for sustainable change by focusing on long-term solutions that address the root causes of issues.

4. We believe in the power of collaboration and actively seek to integrate individuals who share our common goals and vision.

The team leader serves as the Program Manager and Team Lead in our organization. Their role encompasses several key responsibilities. She will ensure that projects are delivered on time by overseeing timelines, allocating resources, and managing project schedules. Shreejita plays a vital role in designing and revisiting the curriculum for both students and fellows, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness. They also design training sessions and provide mentoring support to the fellows, fostering their growth and success.

As a Team Lead, She maintains regular communication with stakeholders, providing project updates, strategy adjustments, and progress reports. She mentors the fellows, encouraging reflection, sharing learnings, and facilitating their classroom planning. Additionally, Shreejita organizes monthly training or workshops to enhance fellows' skills and knowledge.

In terms of student assessment, the Team Lead monitors progress and makes necessary adjustments to teaching approaches. They also acquire and maintain data from various sources for measuring project performance and identifying areas for improvement.

Overall, Shreejita's role as Team Lead involves project management, curriculum design, training and mentoring, stakeholder communication, student assessment, and data management to ensure the success and effectiveness of our programs

Our team, consisting of a dedicated Team Lead and supporting members, is well-positioned to effectively support the LEAP Project, even with other priorities within our organization. While we may be a budding organization with a smaller team, we have taken deliberate steps to ensure the success of the LEAP Project.

Firstly, we have two full-time team members who are solely dedicated to the Udaan Project, which is aligned with the goals and objectives of our organization. This focus allows them to devote their time and expertise specifically to the Udaan Project, ensuring that it receives the attention and support it deserves. They have a clear understanding of the project's objectives, deliverables, and timelines, enabling them to effectively contribute to its success.

In addition to the dedicated team members, our other team members are also well-informed about the LEAP Project and are ready to contribute whenever needed. While they may have other priorities within the organization, they understand the importance of the LEAP Project and have the flexibility to pitch in and provide support when required. This collective knowledge and availability ensure that we have a capable and knowledgeable pool of resources that can be tapped into as needed.

Furthermore, We have three part-time teaching fellows and our team will soon be strengthened by the addition of two fellows who will join us next month. These fellows are an integral part of our team and their curriculum includes evaluation, assessment, and analysis, which aligns perfectly with the requirements of the LEAP Project. Their expertise and fresh perspectives will contribute to the success of the project and help in achieving its objectives.

Considering the importance of the LEAP Project, supporting it is not an additional burden for our team; rather, it is an inherent part of our responsibilities. We have carefully managed our time and resources to ensure that we can dedicate the necessary attention and effort to this project. Our Team Lead will provide guidance, coordination, and oversight, ensuring that all team members are working together efficiently and effectively.

Despite having other priorities within our organization, our well-informed and dedicated team members, along with the forthcoming addition of two more fellows, are well-positioned to effectively support the LEAP Project. Through clear communication, collaboration, and effective time management, we will ensure that the LEAP Project receives the attention, expertise, and resources it needs for the successful implementation and achievement of its objectives.

Udaan Fellowship: enables youth from vulnerable communities to conduct socio-emotional learning-based remedial classes in FLN in schools, and learning centers.

The problem that our solution seeks to solve is the growing issue of illiteracy and inadequate basic mathematical skills [Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN)] among students, leading to increased school dropouts. This problem is evident in states like Jharkhand and Odisha in India, as highlighted in the National Achievement Survey (NAS) reports of 2017 and 2021.

According to the above data from NAS report, there has been a drop, no significant improvement in performance scores in application-based learning outcomes between 2017 and 2021 in Jharkhand and Odisha. This decline indicates a poor quality of teaching and learning, which has serious implications for students' educational journey. When students are unable to read, write, and perform basic mathematical operations, they face significant challenges in comprehending advanced subjects and keeping up with their peers.

One consequence of this learning gap is an increasing number of school dropouts. Students who struggle with foundational skills become discouraged and disengaged from education, leading them to abandon their studies prematurely. This has long-term consequences for their future prospects and perpetuates a cycle of poverty and limited opportunities.

The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this problem. The disruption caused by school closures and the transition to remote learning highlighted the existing disparities in access to education and the lack of support for students with learning difficulties. Many students, particularly those from marginalized communities, faced additional barriers to accessing quality education during the pandemic. By addressing the root causes of illiteracy and inadequate mathematical skills, we can reduce the learning gap, prevent school dropouts, and provide all students with equal opportunities for success.

Our solution is a fellowship program that involves three main stakeholders: fellows, students, and the community. The fellows in our program are individuals from the same community who take on the role of teaching fellows in government schools, low-income private schools, and community learning centers. Their role is not limited to the school premise; community relation building is an essential part of their role. By having fellows from the same community, we ensure that they understand the context and background of the students they are serving. This understanding will help them be more effective in their role and serve as local changemakers, decentralizing the leadership role.

The main focus of our fellowship program is to address the root cause of giving up on education, which is weak foundation literacy and numeracy due to lack of academic support. Our solution focuses on experiential learning, which means that we not only focus on reading, writing, and doing mathematics but also on children's socio-emotional development. This approach is essential to connect their life with the long-term and intangible benefits of education. Our fellows work on remedial classes for students from standard 3 to 10, providing personalized attention to help children learn foundation literacy and numeracy and their socio-emotional development.

The fellowship program is responsible for initiating the change, but ultimately, it will be the community of the local fellows in the role of changemakers that sustains it. We aim to create a community of local changemakers who can strengthen the local educational ecosystem. Also, by connecting all changemakers, we aim to build a support system for each other.

Our solution uses a bottom-up approach, where we listen to the challenges faced by the community and use their feedback to guide our program. Ground challenges and their solutions will help us in policy-making and a continuous effort of strengthening FLN (foundation literacy and numeracy) in the formal system. Our aim is to include experiential learning in the formal education system.

In summary, our fellowship program focuses on creating local changemakers who work as teaching fellows in government schools, low-income private schools, and community learning centers. Our solution focuses on experiential learning, foundation literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional development. We aim to build a support system for each other and create a community of local changemakers who can strengthen the local educational ecosystem. Our bottom-up approach ensures that we are responsive to the needs of the community, and ground challenges and their solutions will help us in policy-making and in a continuous effort of strengthening FLN in the formal system.

Vulnerable Tribal Communities 

Research method: Formative research

 here is an outline of the research and studies conducted by the organization to demonstrate the effectiveness of the solution:

• Total number of children in all three community learning centers in three different villages in Odisha, India: approx. 55 (regular students)
• The organization has gathered data on the total number of children participating in the community learning centers, which serves as the target group for the solution.
• Assessment on foundational language (native and English) and mathematics: The organization has conducted assessments to evaluate the proficiency levels of the children in foundational language skills, including native and English languages, as well as mathematics. The assessments have provided valuable data on the initial proficiency levels of the children.
• Three fellows: The organization has employed three fellows who play a crucial role in implementing the solution and supporting the children's learning journey. The organization has likely conducted research and studies to assess the fellows' effectiveness in delivering the program and their impact on the children's learning outcomes.

Research tool:

Self-developed recommended learning outcome-based rubrics: The organization has developed learning outcome-based rubrics as a tool for collecting and analyzing data from assessments. These rubrics help in categorizing children into different learning levels based on their language and mathematics proficiency. Each learning level consists of a number of learning outcomes. After achieving those learning outcomes, children are promoted to the next learning level. 
This allows for a more systematic and objective measurement of progress.

The organization has collected data over the past year to measure the impact and progress of its work. This data includes information on the improvements in children's language and mathematics proficiency levels observed in the target group

  A bit of assessment rubrics of language learning 

Analysis:

From the data collected from the study over the past year, our solution provided the following consolidated analysis for all three learning centers in Odisha--

1. The analysis has shown that a higher number of children have advanced from lower levels (2-3) to higher levels (4-5) in all three subjects, indicating improvements in their proficiency.

Analysis of data

Note:

For language:

learning Level 1: Those who are encountering the letters for the first time

Level 2: Those who are able to or are in the progress, to identify letters randomly in different kinds of prints and can write them.

level 3: Those who know or are in the progress to read words and can write. 

level 4: those who are able to or in progress to read and comprehend sentences and can make sentences in writing.

Level 5: those who are able to or are in the progress to read a paragraph, can comprehend, and can write or give answers to subjective questions in writing.

For Mathematics:

Learning level 1: Those who never encounter mathematical numbers.

Level 2: Those who are able to or in progress in identifying numbers 1-9 and can associate with real-life counting.

Level 3: Those who are able to or in progress in identifying two-digit numbers randomly along with the place value and counting.

Level 4: Those who are able to or in progress in doing addition and subtraction and understand the relation between two operations and apply it to daily life problem-solving.

Level 5: Those who are able to or in progress to do multiplication and division, understand their relationship and apply it to solve daily life problems.

• In our findings, there are both inter-level and intra-level improvements in children’s learning. 

Reflection on the assessment of knowledge, skills, and mindset: The organization has identified the need to further develop and assess not only knowledge but also skills and mindset. This reflection emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to education and the interconnectedness of various factors, such as socio-emotional development and family involvement.

Requesting support through LEAP participation: The organization recognizes the need for a more objective and inclusive tool to strengthen its solution. By participating in the LEAP Project, the organization aims to develop a tool that can enhance the effectiveness of its solution, address challenges, and further evaluate the impact of various factors on children's education and fellows' progression.

Strengthening the evidence base of our solution is crucial for our organization's growth and impact. As we navigate the initial years, we recognize the challenges that arise due to the lack of evidence. It is essential for us to create impactful evidence that validates the effectiveness of our approach.

Developing suitable tools that align with the specific context we are working in is a critical aspect of our journey as changemakers. These tools enable us to collect data and measure the outcomes of our programs, providing a clear understanding of our goals and progress. By gathering evidence, we can ascertain whether we are on the right track and make informed decisions about the future of our organization.

Having a solid evidence base allows us to continually reflect on our programs and identify areas for improvement. It empowers us to modify and enhance our interventions, ensuring that we are continually evolving and staying aligned with the needs of the community we serve. Evidence of progress serves as encouragement for our fellows and students, reinforcing their belief in the impact of our work. Additionally, evidence highlighting areas for improvement fosters a sense of accountability among our team, motivating them to strive for better outcomes.

An evidence-backed program holds greater credibility among stakeholders in the local educational eco-system. As we generate evidence that demonstrates the positive impact of our initiatives, more individuals and organizations will be inspired to join our cause. This increased support and collaboration strengthen our network, allowing us to amplify our efforts and reach more beneficiaries.

Furthermore, evidence plays a crucial role in fundraising for our organization. Potential donors and partners seek reassurance that their contributions will make a meaningful difference. Robust evidence showcases the effectiveness of our programs and helps build trust among stakeholders, increasing their willingness to invest in our organization's mission.

1. How does the progress made by children in Foundational literacy and Numeracy (FLN) positively influence their classroom performance and academic engagement?

2. What is the extent of the impact of socio-emotional factors on an individual's overall development, encompassing areas such as academic achievement, mental health, and social interactions?

3. To what extent does community involvement contribute to improving regular attendance and a sense of accountability among marginalized children in educational settings?

By participating in the 12-week LEAP Project sprint, our education organization has several desired outputs that we aim to achieve, focusing on strengthening the evidence base of our learning solution in the initial years of our organization to get clarity on our goal and make outcomes of the solution more credible.

First and foremost, we are eager to collaborate with expert researchers and social entrepreneurs who can provide valuable support and guidance throughout the project. Their knowledge and skills will be instrumental in refining our approach and advancing the evidence journey of our education solution.

We anticipate receiving a tailored research report as one of the key outputs. This report will offer specific recommendations, strategies, resources, and tools that will inform our efforts to strengthen the evidence base of our learning solution. It will serve as a comprehensive guide, ensuring that our approach aligns with best practices in evidence-based learning.

The 12-week project sprint will provide us with an intensive focus on the critical elements of strengthening our evidence base. With professional project facilitation provided by MIT Solve, we can streamline our efforts and maximize our impact during this period. This support will allow us to dedicate our time and energy to the most important aspects of our project.

Another exciting outcome of participating in the LEAP Project is the networking opportunities. We look forward to connecting with a global cohort of LEAP Fellows and other Project Hosts. This will enable us to exchange ideas, gain insights from diverse perspectives, and potentially form collaborations that can further enhance our evidence-building efforts.

Through our involvement in the LEAP Project, we aim to accelerate the impact of our learning solution on children. By leveraging the expertise and support of the LEAP Fellows, we anticipate tangible improvements in the effectiveness and outcomes of our solution, ultimately benefiting the children we serve.

Additionally, being part of the LEAP Project will enhance our credibility as an organization committed to evidence-based learning. The association with LEAP and the outputs of the project will strengthen our reputation and showcase our dedication to continuous improvement and evidence-informed practices.

Our organization is committed to putting the desired outputs of the LEAP Project into action, utilizing them strategically to strengthen the evidence base of our learning solution. Here is an overview of how we plan to leverage these outputs:

Tailored Research Report: We will carefully analyze the research report provided by the LEAP Project, incorporating the specific recommendations, strategies, resources, and tools into our approach. This report will serve as a roadmap for us, guiding our future steps and ensuring that we align our practices with evidence-based learning principles. We will prioritize the implementation of the recommended strategies and utilize the provided resources and tools to enhance the effectiveness of our solution.

Networking Opportunities: The networking opportunities with the global cohort of LEAP Fellows and Project Hosts are invaluable for us. We will actively engage with fellow participants, exchanging ideas and experiences to gain diverse perspectives. Building relationships with other education organizations will enable us to collaborate on research initiatives, share best practices, and explore potential partnerships. We aim to leverage these connections to accelerate our evidence-building efforts and create a collaborative network of like-minded organizations.

Streamlined Project Management: With the professional project facilitation provided by MIT Solve, we can focus solely on the critical elements of the 12-week project. We will utilize this support to streamline our project management processes, ensuring that we allocate our time and resources efficiently. By leveraging the expertise of MIT Solve, we can optimize our workflow, enhance productivity, and maintain a clear focus on strengthening the evidence base of our learning solution.

Accelerated Impact: The involvement of LEAP Fellows in our project will be instrumental in accelerating the impact of our learning solution. We will actively collaborate with these experts, leveraging their knowledge and skills to refine and optimize our approach. By incorporating their insights and expertise, we aim to enhance the effectiveness of our solution and maximize its positive outcomes for children. We will monitor the progress and impact closely, using data and feedback to continuously improve and iterate our learning solution.

Increased Credibility: The association with the LEAP Project and the outputs we receive will significantly boost our credibility as an evidence-based education organization. We will utilize the research report and the evidence-based strategies to showcase the effectiveness of our solution to stakeholders, including potential funders, partners, and beneficiaries. By aligning our practices with evidence-based approaches, we will reinforce our commitment to quality education and continuous improvement, gaining trust and recognition within the education sector.

In summary, our organization is dedicated to implementing the outputs of the LEAP Project strategically and effectively. We will utilize the tailored research report, leverage networking opportunities, streamline project management, accelerate impact through collaboration with LEAP Fellows, and enhance our credibility by showcasing evidence-based practices. Through these actions, we aim to strengthen the evidence base of our learning solution and ultimately make a lasting positive impact on the learning and development of children.

The LEAP Project sprint aims to achieve the following outcomes for the solution:

Short-term outcomes:

The strengthened impact tracking process: Implement robust mechanisms for accurate data gathering and measuring the solution's effectiveness. Now our solution is limited to the student’s progress only. But it is expected that tools will be developed with LEAP which helps to progress of parents and fellows. Also, our tools are limited to assessing knowledge of children, mindset, and skills are expected to be included in the tool with the help of the LEAP project.

Improved usability: Enhance user-friendliness and accessibility of the solution to increase adoption rates and user satisfaction.

Clarity and refinement: Analyze and refine the solution's components to ensure a clearer and more streamlined approach.

Enhanced acceptability through feedback: Gather valuable inputs and feedback to tailor the solution to specific needs, increasing acceptance among users.

Long-term outcomes:

Increased evidence of effectiveness: Gather substantial evidence through rigorous impact tracking and evaluation, enhancing the solution's credibility and potential for wider adoption.

Continuous evolution and progress: Foster a culture of continuous improvement by analyzing data, gathering feedback, and adapting the solution to meet evolving needs.

For the organization, the LEAP Project will have the following outcomes:

Short-term outcomes:

Networking and collaboration: Establish connections, share knowledge, and leverage expertise with like-minded individuals and organizations.

Increased credibility: Demonstrate commitment to evidence-based approaches and continuous improvement, enhancing the organization's reputation.

Long-term outcomes:

Strengthened research profile: Generate robust data and findings through the LEAP Project to establish the organization as a thought leader.

Contribution to policy-making: Provide insights and recommendations based on project findings, influencing decision-making and supportive policy environments.

Fundraising opportunities: Attract potential donors and supporters through evidence of impact, credibility, and commitment to continuous improvement.

The LEAP Project sprint holds significant potential to strengthen the impact of the solution and contribute to the growth and recognition of the organization.