Schools Initiative

Helping Schools with Better Facilities and Ideas for More Effective Teaching and Learning

Please note: VHF IS NOT ACCEPTING NEW PROPOSALS for remainder of 2010.

The Foundation provides funding and ideas to schools for improvement of facilities and teaching. The aim is to empower teachers so that all children may learn and excel. Each year, The Foundation places special emphasis on one or more areas of development. Please click here to see the current areas of emphasis and funding. For qualifications for applying for a Grant, and guidelines on writing the application, please click here. For Format of Final Report, click here.

Our Schools Initiative Program benefits10 schools, 9 computer labs and over 10,000 students. Besides computers, VHF has provided music and sports equipment, TV and books. VF supports academic education at several levels: The provison of essential facilities to the neediest schools in slums, improvements of facilities to others and the establishment of model facilities at still others such as libraries.

Shared and deliberate decision making is strongly encouraged, as are improvements in administrative culture, invovlement of parents, and most importantly Teacher Enrichment. We do this through Grants to schools. The grants are based on competitive proposals. Each school awarded a Grant must come up with a minimum of 10% of the requested funds. To see if your school qualifies to apply for a Grant, and how to apply, please click here.

In all cases, direct and frequent contact between schools and a mentor at the Foundation is the key. Regular visits to the schools, emails, phone calls and a continuous exchange of ideas are part of our method. Local mentors are found to support the ongoing programs with money and time for project oversight.

Programs at schools include environmental improvement, instrumental music training where none existed, and our most ambitious compoent: The Akola Teachers Center, which aims to transform teaching in Akola itself.