We have a library, art supplies, a kitchen, boardgames, computers & PEOPLE :))
The SCC is a self-directed learning space governed by the principles of sociocracy Our space was founded by 2 Teach for India Fellows Harsh Maheshwari and Manoj Iyer in summer 2013 who were undertaking their fellowship at the Sunrise English Medium school in Kharadi. Sunrise Community Center (or just Centre as fondly c
alled by our kids) was then used as an after-school place where kids could explore their hobbies, participate in skill building workshops, strengthen their local community, and pursue their academic goals. Over the years, we have built a repository of resources – board games, a library, art supplies, musical instruments, cooking equipment, sports equipment, computers, tablets and other useful odds and ends, that close to 300 children have come to use in various capacities. Every educator has a moment of epiphany and for us, this came after reading the works of Peter Gray and Daniel Greenberg who espouse the concept of self-directed learning; where each student is responsible for their own education. Having experienced the formal schooling system as educators themselves, Harsh and Manoj found glaring gaps in its makeup. How many times as parents, have we had to drag our disinterested child to the study table or forced them to study late hours on the night before an exam? How many times have we noticed our little ones feel inferior because of poor test scores? Are we parents with special needs kids that cannot learn in a one size fits all environment? Kids are cognitive optimizers – they absorb what they are naturally interested in and block out those that are acquired through passive observation. This led us to completely abandon the traditional academic environment and open our space to the idea of free and SELF DIRECTED LEARNING. Our long-term vision is for our centre to be a buzzing place for community learning; where individuals come to pursue knowledge in anything that piques their interest and spread the joy of learning far and wide. Sure, we lost most of our older cadre, but those that saw value in our offering stuck with us. Today we cater to about 20 kids that explore their wide range of learning interests. Among others, we have a self-taught marble painter Neha, an Origami enthusiast Tanmay, a self-confessed breaker of all things electronic Maurya and Julie, our very own house dog. We run our space on the principles of sociocracy – we have an egalitarian organization structure where students and staff all enjoy the same benefits. We do take the occasional outdoor trip and place the needs of our little community above all else. The centre is open six days a week, for a minimum of four hours a day. We have set-up a fully equipped library, game zone, and computer lab. The Centre is also equipped with Akash Tablets along with a server which has Khan Academy content pre-loaded on it, for kids to practise independently. Kids are encouraged to pursue independent projects, attend craft workshops, and become Monitors who help facilitate the daily running of the centre. This space is unique to our school, and has proved indispensable to us in reaching high levels on academics, values and exposure consistently. If you would like to volunteer with us, or make a donation in cash or kind, please inbox us and we'll get back to you ASAP! Your support can help sustain the growth and development of our students, and ensure that where they come from in life does not determine where they go. :)
