Free-of-cost School for Underprivileged Children

Universal Children’s Day 2013

A fine blend of work and play

The JAAGO Foundation in collaboration with its volunteer wing, ‘Volunteer for Bangladesh had celebrated ‘Universal Children’s Day’ 2013 during the month of November with a fresh new campaign to raise awareness for children rights. JAAGO’s UCD 2013 campaign had comprised of two elaborate segments; “Innovation Lab 2013” and “UCD Carnival 2013”.

The Innovation Lab 2013 has been a platform that has successfully managed to beautifully bridge field experience with infinite future possibilities.  The Innovation Lab opened its doors to a group of 50 young aspiring entrepreneurs who walked in with ideas worthy of the right start up! Through a rigorous ’36 hours Mentorship’ program the participants were made to sculpt every aspect of their social entrepreneurship model into perfection. Each idea had to relate a business plan with a social cause focusing on child development and education. The Innovation Lab had invited some of the brightest, most successful and experienced entrepreneurs of Bangladesh to mentor and evaluate these talented participants who were simultaneously participating in Dhaka and Chittagong.  

In the second phase, JAAGO Foundation’s signature event, ‘UCD Carnival’ was celebrated in its full glory in 7 districts of Bangladesh.  The ‘Carnival’ has always been about giving back a day from their childhoods to the children we see on the streets. While in their fight for bare survival they completely miss out on their childhood and the happiness that every child should otherwise have been entitled to. JAAGO every year tries to organize for these children a day of fun and frolic where all worries and miseries disappear amongst the celebration of one’s childhood. The ‘Carnival’ this year has been daylong visits to parks and zoo for street children across the country. The carnivals across the country indulged the children in bioscopes, puppet shows, merry-go-rounds, exotic zoo animals and some wholesome meals. Volunteers had been assigned nationwide to keep company of the children and to attend to their needs.

Bithi in Nepal

JAAGO 4^th grader makes it as a panelist at SAARC UNICEF Regional Policy Dialogue on Adolescence  

Suborna Bithi a 4^th grader at JAAGO was selected as a panelist at the SAARC UNICEF Regional Policy Dialogue on Adolescence. Bithi, an exceptionally bright student at the JAAGO Foundation attended this three day conference in Nepal. She brought attention to troubling issues such as memorization of course material without giving much thought to it. This practice is very common in a much in practice in a large number of schools in rural and urban Bangladesh. She also spoke on how technology used in schools needs to be upgraded in order for the Bangladeshi students to keep up with the fast changing world. She pressed towards the set up of computer labs and vocational training for high school students who have entered their adolescence years. Bithi is confident that if these aspects are incorporated into the traditional education curriculum then the Bangladeshi youth would have much higher chances of succeeding professionally. She strongly feels that, acquainting high school students with technology and giving them various trainings that could come handy in their professional lives is the way forward!

Nepal has been a wonderful experience for Bithi. Bithi who comes from very humble beginnings has had many firsts in this beautiful land. Not only because this was her first trip abroad but the feeling of being heard was immense for her. “I have met some wonderful people from countries all around the globe. I felt so privileged while exchanging my views with all the delegates at the conference. I can’t thank JAAGO enough for making me a part of this organization. I hope I can play an active role at generating awareness of issues faced by adolescents in my community in the years to come.”

JAAGO School Bandarban Inaugurated

We are now in Bandarban

Bandarban is known far and wide for its lush greenery and mighty mountains. The beauty of the place being so inherently overwhelming, it tends to take away from the parallel truth of the tremendous need of standard education institutions in Bandarban. Funded by Grameenphone Ltd., the JAAGO School is located at Kanapara, Bandarban. This latest venture of the JAAGO Foundation targets to cater to the educational needs of numerous ethnic minority groups. The locals have a minimalistic income and the introduction of a free school has taken a significant burden off their shoulders and ensures a secure future for their children. The school has started its first academic year during September 2013 with 43 intakes in Reception. The JAAGO Bandarban School is an ‘Online School’ that benefits from the high-caliber teachers holding classes in metropolitan areas without compromising education standards. Presently, the Reception students are being taught alphabets, numbers colors and so on.

JAAGO 4rd Graders sit for the PEC Examinations

Now the Guarantee of NCTB certification at every stage of schooling 

The JAAGO 3rd graders have recently sat to undertake the PEC Examinations by the NCTB. The PEC examination is mainly taken by 5th grade students who pursuit their schooling under the National curriculum. The subjects that the students were tested on are Bengali, English, Mathematics, Islam & Moral Education, Bangladesh & Global Studies and Elementary Science. Successfully passing the PEC examination with entitled the JAAGO students to the certification for 5 years of schooling. The students who go to JAAGO being financially disadvantaged constantly get exposed to family mobilization and pressure from their family to drop out from school in order to start earning. With the students having some kind of nationally recognized certification it becomes more likely for them to get a decent job in case they decide on dropping off. Also, the students’ performance will assist our educators to assess the quality of education being delivered at JAAGO keeping the national curriculum as a yardstick.

JAAGO Teachers' Training Session by SPEED

35 teachers of the JAAGO Schools from the Rayerbazar and Banani branches attended a training session hosted by SPEED. Services for Professional Education and Enterprise Development (SPEED) is an adult education and training centre that offers training programs for professionals working in various sectors, including teaching, the corporate world, and retail. This training session was held from 21st September to 12th October of 2013.Alongside the teachers from Rayer bazar Branch and Banani Branches, the Education Coordinators, Asst. Manager, Training and Development and Research and Development Asst. Manager attended this program. Some of the issues that were focused on during this session were; Classroom Management and Control Strategies, Methods of maintaining discipline and attention amongst students, Student Motivation, Professionalism, Creation of a Positive Learning Experience, Methodology to Assess Learners and the Markings of an Ideal Educator The sessions  were thoroughly interactive and took place in the format of workshops. The lectures, role plays, games, group discussions, case studies aided in the creation of very well balanced learning environment.