Newsletter 51 - New educational project: learning “Life Sciences” through videos

We are very excited to share a new project that puts education at the center and wants to reach where it is needed most: the Adivasis communities of India.

Together with Jan Seva Mandal (JSM), an organization committed to community development in the Nandurbar region (about 390 km north of Mumbai), we are starting an informal education program designed to awaken the curiosity of the youngest.

Learning by observing the world around us

The project consists of creating a series of educational videos in Marathi language, adapted for children and young people between 4 and 13 years old. With a short and dynamic duration (10-12 minutes), these videos will cover essential topics of the “Sciences of Life”:

• Our Earth

• Air

• Water

• Energy

• Science in everyday life

In total, 7 videos will be produced, presented in a clear and approachable way by two educators.

Why videos?

Because learning can also be fun! Children connect much better with audiovisual formats that combine images, music and practical experiences. Through the videos, they will be able to see experiments and understand scientific concepts in a lively and understandable way.

In addition, these materials will become a key tool for local tutors, people from the same communities who, despite not being professional teachers, receive training to accompany children in their learning.

Materials to accompany learning

The project also includes the creation and printing of 200 copies of a 32-page manual for tutors, which will serve as a guide for working on the content of the videos in the classroom or in community settings.

All this work will be developed by a team of three people with extensive experience, under the direction of Fr. Godfrey D’Lima.

A clear objective: awakening curious minds

This project aims to promote three fundamental pillars of education:

• Curiosity

• Creativity

• Critical thinking

Through questions and discoveries, children will be able to better understand their environment and feel like protagonists of their own learning.

A growing impact

During the first year, it is expected that around 3,000 children from more than 200 villages in various districts of Maharashtra (Nandurbar, Dhule, Nashik, Palghar and Raigad) will participate in the project.

And this is just the beginning! The videos will continue to be used for at least 5 years, potentially reaching over 15,000 views, and will also be shared with other educational centers and schools.

We firmly believe that education is a powerful tool to transform lives. And with projects like this, we take another step towards a future with more opportunities for everyone.