About

Project: The Akanksha School Project 

Goal: To create a model of high performing schools that redefines what is possible for children from low income communities

Target funds: Rs.50,00,000

About the project: The mission of The School Project is to create a model for high-performing schools that redefines what is possible for children from low-income communities, and has the potential to drive wider systemic reform.

The Akanksha School Model has been adapted from best practices of high-performing schools in India and around the world, and Akanksha’s own extensive experience in education gathered over its twenty years of serving some of the poorest urban slum communities of Mumbai and Pune. Inspired in particular by the success of the charter school network, KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), in the United States, ‘The Six Pillars’ represent the guiding principles of The School Project and the core of what Akanksha believes drives the success of its schools.

1. Excellent Educators

2. Scalable Cost 

3. Curriculum and Instruction 

4. Accountability to performance

5. Parents as Partners

6. More time on Task 

"We believe that by building a pipeline of excellant educators, we will create a replicable, scalable model for the nation's education system. The aspiration and determination that our schools should transform not only our children's lives, but the entire system at large, propels us into the next 20 years. " - Vandana Goyal - CEO 

About Akanksha: The Akanksha Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to impact the lives of children from low-income communities, enabling them to maximize their potential and change their lives. Akanksha works primarily in the field of education, addressing non-formal education through the Akanksha center and also formal education by initiating school reform.

Currently, Akanksha reaches out to around 4000 children through two models: the after-school or center model and the school model. Akanksha has 46 centers and 9 schools in Mumbai and Pune. Through the centers, a commitment is made to support each child by providing a strong educational foundation, good time, self-esteem and values, and to help them plan how they can earn a steady livelihood as a step towards improving their standard of living. The School Project is a venture to open high-quality schools serving children from low-income communities in Mumbai and Pune.  These schools are in partnership with local municipalities, with the vision of creating small clusters of model schools in these cities that can be used to impact the mainstream education system.