Samiksha 2.0 - Integrated Learning Program

Samiksha 2.0 will leverage Beneficial Technology to enable remote teaching/learning for the education of school age children undergoing long-term cancer treatment (hence missing school) especially where in-the-ward Samiksha Foundation Learning Centre (SFLC) established under Samiksha 1.0 are not functional at the hospitals for the children due to Covid 19.

Though it appears the situation due to the Covid19 pandemic might return to a manageable phase soon, the possibility of going back to the hospitals to restart the Learning Centres such that the volunteers and staff of SF can interact with the immune-compromised children on a day-to-day basis was challenging. In such a scenario it becomes imperative to bring the children up to speed with their academics using technology to the best possible extent. -

Samiksha 2.0 -Development Challenges being addressed: 2021

11 years of working with cancer affected children, (now doubly disadvantaged due to Cancer and Covid 19), has helped us establish clearly that Knowledge Empowers and Happiness Heals and the Pursuit of Knowledge is key to their pursuit of Happiness. We have several thousand testimonials of families to prove this motto.

As the Oncology wards are now fully functional, the Doctors at hospital(s) have requested SF to share content with the children so as to enable them to keep occupied. However, SF is unable to do so as there is no set-up either at the hospital or at our offices to render remote teaching/learning services efficiently.

Hence, a concentrated effort in the last few months has been to develop content and methods to share with/teach the children remotely, with minimum outsider presence thus ensuring that these immuno-compromised children can continue to learn safely under the circumstances. Unfortunately, given that over 60% of the children undergoing treatment are from lower socio-economic strata, access to expensive, high-end gadgets and licensed educational software solutions which are pre-requisites to remote teaching/learning may not be financially viable for them, or at least not a priority, and that would compromise their education.

Samiksha 2.0 - The Integrated Learning Program (TILP)- calls for equipping all the affected children with tablets and broadband connections as well as a back-end system at Samiksha offices (COE) that would run customised and licensed learning and assessment software. The children will not be left to their own to navigate online content; they will be guided by the Samiksha 1.0 tutors who will now be remote tutors, and psycho-oncology counsellors and education coordinators at the Hospitals. Such a virtual enhanced set up will also benefit the survivors who can avail of these facilities after being discharged from the hospital while they await their return to school to continue with their education.

The children, by means of continued access to Online classes on their devices, will be able to catch up on missed lessons and classes, and be well prepared for the completion of the academic year to continue their formal education. Creative methods like Craft and Art will also be used in the lesson plans. The expertise of 11 years of empowering cancer kids from Samiksha 1.0 will pivot and put to better use at Samiksha2.0.

Soon, a New Samiksha Education Manual developed on the basis of NEP 2020 is being released for this purpose.

The USP of our Program, albeit remote will be that these programs will also become available Both ONLINE and OFFLINE through various teaching methods, Lesson Plans are being developed in 4 vernacular languages.

Segment of the population it will serve are

Children in the age group of 8-17 years (Grades 4 to 10) undergoing treatment for cancer, at hospitals and at home in Maintenance.

The service of TILP will be provided free of cost to any child with cancer and long term life threatening illness!