Child development

Child Development

With a view to address the issue of lack of quality education in the region and to introduce a younger generation on the path of sustainability and equality, we opened schools in two villages in the Tirthan valley, Kullu district during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two women from each village were selected to teach the children. Himalayan Ecotourism worked with interns to provide training to our teachers.
In addition to Hindi and Mathematics, many other subjects were taught with more hands-on exercises and activities, with an application-based approach to ensure that the children are taught not only theory but are acquainted with real life skills, a broader world view and an empathetic attitude towards society.

The small school in the village of Pekhri was equipped with three computers that allow children to familiarize themselves with the internet and learn English.

To become a part of our team of interns who join us from some of the most renowned institutions across the world, click here.

Our goal is to reach out to students studying in this area as early as possible to make them aware about the environmental hazards of forest fires and make them understand how they can help.

This is why we started the “Stop Forest Fires” campaign.

Under this program we conducted awareness sessions in classes, encouraged them to reach out to people in their village to share the same information and prevent them from lighting controlled fires, and distributed pamphlets in the local communities with the help of the students.

We are currently kick-starting an immersive nature education program in local schools in the valley to create an ecological consciousness within children and young adults in communities.

Through our 3 month program, we take students on a 3 stage journey to firstly, observe and reconnect with nature, secondly, begin understanding core concepts of ecology and conservation and lastly, apply their learnings to their households and communities and evaluate sustainability in their context.

We want provide young and budding minds with the faculties to evaluate their communities and empower them to lead sustainable development projects as they grow up.

Through engaging lessons that involve movement, painting, scuplting and observation, children have a fun time but also begin enjoying and understanding the forest they live so closely with.

By March 2023, we will have developed an extensive curriculum that can be replicated and implemented in schools across the Himalayas.

We believe that cooperation and collaboration is the most significant way of bringing about meaningful, lasting change. With this intention in mind, we are working with Mr. Shivam Gupta, a friend of Himalayan Ecotourism, to open a children’s library and learning centre in the valley.

Shivam was keen on initiating a social project in the area and we were thrilled to work with him based on our years of experience in the sector. After some deliberation, we decided to open the library in Gushaini which is accessible to children from many villages.

Most importantly, we have decided to expand the role of the library to also function as a centre for supplementary education for children and as a training centre for teachers from villages close to Gushaini. The purpose of doing this is that the trained teachers can replicate a model of supplementary education in their respective villages. Based on their capacity, they can work with as many students as possible to be able to maximize our impact.

To become a part of our ongoing education work as an intern or volunteer, click here.
If you are an experienced educational professional who would like to be a part of this project, get in touch with us here