Breaking Barriers and Building Futures: The Thinksharp Foundation Story by Santosh Phad , Founder of Thinksharp Foundation

Education is an essential element for the progress and advancement of any nation. However, there is a vast difference between the quality of education provided in urban and rural areas of India. The rural regions suffer from lower literacy rates, lack of resources, infrastructure, and limited access to quality education, leading to lower educational achievement levels. In 2011, we established the Thinksharp Foundation to bridge this gap and provide access to quality education for children in rural areas. The foundation aims to improve the quality of education in rural schools and after-school hours by providing access to better educational infrastructure and resources.

The StudyMall Program

Despite the Indian government mandating free and mandatory school education for children aged between 6 to 14, the quality of education in rural areas remains comparatively low. Most rural children are enrolled in government-operated and government-aided schools that lack modern or 21st-century education tools. At the Thinksharp Foundation, we believe that every child has the right to access quality education, and we have devised a primary approach to bridge the rural-urban education divide, which is the ‘StudyMall’ model school program. 

Digital Learning

To provide access to quality education to children in rural areas, we established the StudyMall program in 2011. The StudyMall is modelled after shopping malls and offers modern education under one roof. We collaborate with school authorities, parents, village committees, and social enterprises to transform rural schools into modern schools by deploying physical and digital tools. StudyMall program includes several initiatives aimed at improving the quality of education in government schools in rural areas. The program includes two key initiatives: Digital Learning and Modular Library.

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Digital Learning provides access to multimedia and digital resources, including educational videos and interactive content, to make learning more engaging and interactive, leading to better academic outcomes. The Digital Learning initiative utilizes multimedia and digital tools to deliver quality education to students in rural government schools. 

Modular Library

The Foundation recognizes that providing access to digital resources is not enough to enhance the quality of education in rural areas. Therefore, the organization believes that libraries play a crucial role in fostering a love for reading among children. With this in mind, the Foundation has set up modular libraries in rural schools, which are equipped with a wide variety of books on various subjects. These books include poems, stories, books on environment, science, and general knowledge. The objective of this initiative is to encourage and instill a love for reading among children in rural areas. The modular libraries aim to provide access to quality reading material to enhance the overall learning experience of students. The Modular Library is set up with a wide variety of books to foster positive reading habits and attitudes among children. By promoting reading, the Foundation aims to improve children’s language and communication skills, as well as their cognitive development. 

Empowering Rural Children

The program empowers rural children with quality education, modern tools, and resources. The Foundation believes that by investing in education, India can achieve a brighter future for its citizens. By providing children in rural areas with access to modern tools and resources, the Foundation believes that it can help them reach their full potential and contribute to the growth and development of their communities and the nation as a whole. 

Solar Shala Program

Furthermore, the Foundation understands that some rural schools require physical upgrades to create a safe and progressive learning environment for students. For this reason, the Foundation extends support to schools by renovating existing school buildings and constructing new ones where necessary. The Foundation believes that every child deserves access to a safe and positive learning environment. 

The Solar Shala program was initiated to address one of the biggest challenges faced by rural schools. The lack of access to electricity due to frequent power cuts. This program installs solar power systems in rural schools, providing uninterrupted electricity. This ensures that schools can perform better and students can have access to digital tools and modern learning experiences.

Computer Mitra Program

At Thinksharp Foundation, we have initiated the Computer Mitra program as part of our StudyMall initiative. Our goal with this program is to provide computer education to children in rural government schools. We want to ensure that every student in 6th standard and above has access to computer and IT skills that will prepare them for the 21st century education. We have recognized that rural children have always dreamt of learning computers, but unfortunately, this education has not been widely available in rural schools. This lack of availability is due to the unavailability of special trainers and computer machines in schools, which means that children do not have access to learn computer skills at school or at home.

We wanted to change this situation. Through the Computer Mitra program, we have made it easy for rural children to learn computer skills. The program runs for 3 to 4 months and covers a comprehensive range of computer education including the basics of computers, computer history, operating systems, MS office, Email, Paint, Typing, and more. At the end of the course, an assessment is conducted, and students who clear the course are given a certificate. Through this program, rural students can become competitive in the job market and contribute to the development of their communities. We are committed to expanding the reach of the Computer Mitra program and providing more rural children with the opportunity to learn essential computer skills.

The Digi Library App

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, we launched The Digi Library app. The app was created to provide free access to books and inculcate reading habits among children, especially those from rural and lower economic backgrounds. We recognized that children from these backgrounds have limited access to non-academic books at home or school, which can lead to low interest in reading and reading literacy. The Digi Library app offers books in PDF, audio, and video format in English, Marathi, and Hindi languages. The books are from various categories such as stories, STEM, history, biographies, poems, culture, and animal stories. To ensure availability of different books, we signed an MOU with various book publishing companies such as Pratham Books, iVolunteer, Eklavya, and others. We also encourage students, parents, teachers, and volunteers to write and publish children’s stories on the app, which helps boost story writing skills among children, teachers, and volunteers.

StudyFin Project

The app is user-friendly, even for those with limited mobile experience, and is well-designed and developed to cater to different age groups. One of its important features is the activity report, through which parents, teachers, and children can see how many books they have read. To promote and inculcate reading habits, we offer scholarships to children who read the most number of books in a month and award them with appreciation letters. I believe that the Digi Library app is bridging the digital divide and providing unlimited access to various children’s books at no cost. We are committed to expanding the reach of the app and providing more children with the opportunity to access quality reading material. We believe that by promoting reading habits, we can help children become better learners and thinkers, and contribute positively to society.

The StudyFin project is a wonderful initiative that provides much-needed support to financially disadvantaged students in pursuing their education. Many students across India are unable to afford school, vocational education, or university courses due to financial constraints. To bridge this gap, the StudyFin project offers financial assistance of up to Rs. 30,000 to deserving students, with a special focus on girls who may have had to drop out of school due to financial difficulties. This project has the potential to transform the lives of countless students who would otherwise not have had access to educational opportunities. By providing this financial support, the StudyFin project is helping to create a brighter future for these students and their families.

Thinksharp Rural Fellowship

The Thinksharp Rural Fellowship is an inspiring program that aims to equip rural children with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century. The program offers a full-time, paid fellowship that allows fellows to engage for one to two years in rural schools, working as instructors and advocates for improving rural education in the long term. The fellowship provides a unique opportunity for fellows to become a part of a larger community that is committed to improving the quality of education in rural areas. By working directly with students and teachers in rural schools, fellows can make a meaningful impact on the lives of these children. This program has the potential to transform not only the lives of rural students, but also the communities in which they live, by providing them with the education and skills they need to thrive in the modern world.

Vidyarath Program

The Vidyarath program, also known as the StudyMall on Wheel, is an innovative initiative aimed at improving children’s digital and reading literacy. Supported by Forms & Surfaces India Pvt Ltd, this program is equipped with a computer lab that provides children with access to the latest technology and helps them learn important ICT skills. The program also includes STEM projects that allow children to explore science, technology, engineering, and math concepts with a practical, hands-on approach. In addition, the program offers a library filled with a variety of books to encourage reading and foster a love for learning. Through this program, the Thinksharp Foundation is helping to create a brighter future for underprivileged children by providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed.

The Thinksharp Foundation is grateful to its sponsors for their support in these important programs. Sponsors including ONGC, Concentrix India, Forms & Surfaces India, TATA DLT, Sandvik Coromant India and AppDirect India have made it possible for the foundation to continue its work in improving education for underprivileged students. Their commitment to this cause is truly inspiring, and their support is helping to create a brighter future for countless children across India. The foundation is proud to have such dedicated sponsors and is grateful for their ongoing support in its mission to improve education and create a more equitable society.

The Impact of Thinksharp Foundation

As the founder of Thinksharp Foundation, I am extremely proud of the impact we have had in the rural areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Our organization has been working tirelessly to improve the educational opportunities for children in these regions, and we have been able to make a significant difference. With a presence in over 200 schools, we have been able to reach more than 15,000 children and help them to develop the skills they need to succeed in life. We believe that education is the key to unlocking the potential of every child, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that every child has access to the education they need to reach their full potential.