Bridge the Gap | Summary

 

Executive Summary

The project Bridge the Gap is an ongoing educational program designed for children and youth in the far-flung villages in India's Northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, serving young people who have either dropped out or have not entered a formal school system.

Bridge the Gap is an educational outreach program designed for youth in far-flung villages who have either dropped out our haven´t entered a formal system of education for a variety of reasons including extreme poverty, addiction to drugs, alcohol and prostitution.

The Upper Room is trying to engage in dialogue with youth and families facing such disadvantages and offer to them a space to be able to step back into formal education and “bridge the gap”. Existing state-run schools in some regions are either understaffed or run by an under-qualified set of teachers. Lack of proper communication mediums do not allow for enough awareness of institutions and possibilities. With this project Upper Rooms wants to create windows of opportunities for these young people which will hopefully have a lasting impact on their futures.

 

The Gap We're Filling

Since three years, The Upper Room, while still unregistered as an association has undertaken visits to different villages belonging to different parishes and engaged in dialogue with families with a view to bring them back to school and university and ‘bridge the gap’. This ground work laid the foundation for the confidence in launching this project. Existing state-run schools in the region are either understaffed or run by an under-qualified set of teachers. Lack of proper communication mediums also do not allow for enough awareness of institutions and possibilities. This project is designed to make these available to the children.

 

Why the North-East?

A variety of reasons may lead to dropouts, from low-quality education to poverty, drug addiction, alcohol, and even prostitution. Growing militant insurgency and export of opium are additional factors that hamper development for these young people. The existing state-run schools in the region are either understaffed or run by an under-qualified set of teachers. Having dropped out of school, these youngsters are vulnerable to coerced recruitment activities and often exposed to circles of drug cultivation and addiction to drugs. 

Our Specific Aims & Objectives:

  • To reach out to the far flung villages of the diocese of Miao and other dioceses and bring awareness to the families of the educational opportunities, benefits and scope for choosing a career.

  • To understand and assess the financial situation along with the background of the students.

  • To put them into contact with a good school.

  • Make a three-year educational plan and offer financial support as required.

  • With a network of schools and colleges sharing it’s vision and ethics it eagerly strives to find for each child a particular school or university to study in and be taken care of.

  • To train and equip youngsters to be willing to work in these areas although they offer a high-risk factor.

  • Harness the benefits of music and arts to disseminate awareness of key issues.

  • Organize a ‘buddy system’ as a tool to offer continual support, address grievances, assess and improve student performance with bi-annual visits.

  • To empower the students with weekly camps once or twice a year with workshops on topics relevant for career and faith.

  • Use mediums of informal educational structures to prepare the student to enroll in a formal school structure in a short but effective timeframe.

  • Create windows of opportunities for girl students to find a platform of education, self-expression and assertion in the northeastern patriarchal society.

Project Timeline

  • Remote Preparation:

    - Meeting resource persons and choosing subjects necessary for the sessions

    - Persons with a solid academic background and experience in corporate and entrepreneur setups invited as key speakers

    - Writing a Musical with parallel sketches covering relevant themes

    - Recording music scores with musicians preparing props and costumes

    - Making a foolproof registration system to ensure maximum participation

    - Forming a team with choreographers, music teachers, videographers and counsellors

    Execution:

    - Conduct team-building activities

    - Organize training in counselling with specific focus on India

    - Organize the camp and execute the plan prepared by the team for 100 students

    - Prepare a network of institutions that are aware of the work of The Upper Room and support it by offering seats to these students

  • Preparation:

    - Identify 3 Schools that offer use of their classroom and residential facilities

    - Interview teachers to be employed in the tuition centers

    - Training for teachers

    Execution:

    - Daily classes for students in a parallel program during school hours

    - After school integration into the program of the hostel inmates to which the school is attached

    - Managing accommodation in the hostels attached to the schools

    Monitoring:

    - Organize and monitor timely tests for the students

    - Holistic assessment based on set parameters by the project counsellors

  • Preparation:

    - Admissions to different schools for school going students

    - Identify slow learners and cater to their specific needs using tested methods

    - Organize intensive month-long training as preparation for university aspirants

    - Timely visits

Our Evaluation Plan

We shall conduct evaluation activities by using success and performance indicators to measure the progress of the project plan

Sustainability Plan

BENEFICIARIES, BENEFACTORS AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY

The project will be a failure if the communities and schools will not offer their support in working hand-in hand by offering the classrooms for the tuition center. After having discussed this with the concerned directors of schools, we confidently assume that they will see the project through as promised. We assume that the communities know their problem and that development comes from within the community. Young people from this area who have benefited from the Project will galvanize the drop-outs at ground level to sign up for the camp and consequently the developing phases of the project. This will contribute to the success of the project. The project will be managed by The Upper Room with support from the diocese of Miao, individual donors and organizations and some others who have offered their support with materials or services. The diocese of Miao will share their venue and invite the local community to get involved in helping during the career conference. To ensure sustainability of the project it is vital that the community gets involved and is sensitized about the value of education.

Partnership & Collaborations

WE ARE SEEKING PARTNERSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO REALIZE THIS PROJECT.
 

The project will be monitored monthly by the co-ordinators and quarterly by the Project Manager and Supervisor. Implementation will be done by the Project Staff both on ground and in Austria. The Project Manager will monitor every activity of project throughout the project life. It is anticipated that the students will be able to form a support system among themselves to encourage continuance of education. A yearly report will be published to keep track of the progress of the project

Next

Bridge the Gap | Phase 1