Purkal Youth Development Society (PYDS)

Purkal Youth Development Society (PYDS) provides quality education and holistic care through a CBSE-affiliated school, from Class I-XII, to children (predominantly girls) from deeply needy and underprivileged families. This is done through a combination of high-quality academics, adequate nutrition, health care, and full exposure to co-curricular areas, at no cost to them. The ultimate objective is to guide each student to be financially independent and lead their family to prosperity, eventually transforming the demographics of the entire region.

Major Interventions:

Educational Overview: The learning provided in schools has been accompanied by hands-on projects by students. Different subject teachers collaborate to create a project statement with concepts from all subjects of the class level. Lessons have structured cross-curricular connections in content and methodology whereas Languages, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies are integrated. Computers and Languages are used to learn other subjects and Art, Music, Dance, and Drama are used to interpret and express content of different subjects in classes. Experiential Learning for senior classes is facilitated through carefully designed immersive experiences followed by exploration of conceptual and theoretical aspects of the same experiences. Multidimensional learning about a topic aims to make it possible for students to create High Order Thinking Skills.

One of the objectives is to teach through age-appropriate learning methods, while keeping Experiential Learning (ExL) as the basis of all innovations. EXL enables students to learn and apply theory and academic content to real-life experiences. These experiences are field-based (visits, internships, case studies, etc.) or classroom-based (presentations, role-plays, peer teaching, group activity, etc.). EXL has had measurable benefits and effective integration of technology has led to an innovative curriculum.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths (S.T.E.M): The vision is to develop technological skills, foster curiosity, build imagination and serve as a makerspace for implementation of STEM education. Tinkering classes are integral to the school timetable for classes IV - IX. Teachers have been trained to integrate Tinkering in lesson plans and class activities to make it accessible to students.

Navjeevan: It focuses on children from remote areas of Uttarakhand who have missed primary mainstream education and do not have the academic skills or aptitudes of their peers. In the 18-month program, these children undergo accelerated learning as residential students to equip them with the knowledge and skills they would have gained in primary classes. These children are mainstreamed into Class V, VI, or VII depending on their performance at the successful completion of the program.

Nutrition & Medical Care: Medical booklets for all students, detailing immunization, vaccination, height and weight, eyesight, and prescription reports, are updated and students' health indicators are being consistently monitored. BMI (Body Mass Index) and physical examinations are conducted to see if any illnesses or infections were present on their return to campus. The remedial response involves giving nutritious meals, organizing an eye check-up camp, and providing deworming shots, anti-lice treatment, and chyawanprash to the students for better health.