CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

It quickly became apparent that the materials being developed for the Youth Empowerment Program at the Community Centre in Dharavi are needed in, and appropriate for, many other similar situations in Mumbai, across Maharshtra, and throughout India. With this in mind, the decision to develop the materials for a wider audience was taken.

So far we have learnt that the Youth Empowernent Program needs to consist of five stages:

1. Improve the teachers' standard of English (for the English module. Other modules are taught in vernacular medium)
2. Train the teachers in child centred, student focused teaching techniques
3. Develop easy to follow teachers’ notes
4. Develop culturally appropriate materials for students
5. Post course support

The ultimate goal is a set of educational materials and associated teacher training that can be used in any developing situation in the world

FAQs

1. What are the social problems YEP is trying to address?
   1. Inequality: We believe that education is a great leveller
   2. Quality of life-:We believe that education improves prospects and gives people the tools to solve their own problems
   3. Equal opportunities: Education offers people from less fortunate backgrounds the chance to access the same opportunities as others and to participate in mainstream society
   4. Education-:Basic education allows and promote access to further education
2. What are the three main goals of the YEP program?
   1. Equality
   2. Empowerment
   3. Improved quality of life
3. Why did you choose English, Computers, and Soft skills?
   1. English
      1. English is sometimes a necessary requirement for accessing education after 10th standard (approximately 16 years old)
      2. We believe that English can level discrimination. I.e. There is a perceived correlation that people from poorer backgrounds cannot speak English
      3. A basic knowledge of English can increase the amount of employment available to a person.
   2. Computers
      1. Skills, such as CV writing, typing, and presenting will serve students in the longer term when finding new opportunities having finished their formal education.
      2. A basic knowledge of computers can increase the amount of jobs a person can do.
      3. Learning computers represent a challenge to many of our students and when they conquer computers it empowers them with the self-belief that they can overcome other challenges in life.
   3. Soft Skills
      1. Whilst not as ‘tangible’ as a knowledge as English or computers, teaching soft skills aims to help our students to find their own voice, confidence and useful skills when looking for work.
      2. The soft skills module helps our students to be aware of the ways of society and teaches them about self-confidence and social awareness.
      3. The soft skills syllabus also teaches our students about gender awareness, discrimination and health issues
   .
4. Where do your teachers come from?
   1. We employ teachers from the local communities. All of our teachers are given continuous training about the Reality Gives teaching methods and we place a large emphasis on them growing with the program
   2. We have recently started to offer students the chance to train as teachers upon completion of the Youth Empowerment Program

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