Balwadis were started in the community at the behest of community members. On Door Step School's part this was an excellent opportunity to catch kids at a young age and get them hooked on to learning, which can be fun.

Facilities:
In 2007-2008, Door Step School ran separate Balwadi classes on 47 locations, but all in all, there were Balwadi children on 71 of the locations we worked on. Of the 47 Balwadi classes there were 43 on construction sites, 3 in slums and 1 in a pavement community. 14 Balwadis were closed this year due to dropouts and merging of classes. The total enrollment for our Balwadi program was 1704 children and the total number of retained children was 694, or 41%. Kids range in age from 3-6 years. Balwadis are equipped with toys, creative material, teaching aids, etc.

Activities:

1. Preparation for what's ahead: The Balwadi program is geared to get children prepared for a more formal education process. In the Balwadi we stress regular attendance for 2 hours at a stretch, and participation in class, which we believe, builds children's attention span, and instills in them a habit of attending school.
2. Informal Learning Process: Kids are taught a variety of nursery rhymes, which builds their vocabulary of Marathi and English. They also learn shapes and colours through songs, pictures and toys.
3. Easy learning: Children 5 and older learn alphabet and are introduced to numbers. These children are known to perform better in mathematics later in school.
4. Introduction of English: As the English language is now being introduced in Hindi and Marathi medium schools, we prepare children for this often strange and unknown language. Children learn to scribble letters of the English alphabet and learn simple English words through nursery rhymes. This makes for a smoother transition into grade school by making English less daunting.
5. Special Programs: Children also learn about culture by celebrating various festivals. They also enjoy picnics and an annual sports day.

On an average 90% of the children enrolled in Door Step School Balwadis go on to attend municipal schools.

Future:
In every community that Door Step School works in and with every group of children, a Balwadi is essential. The Balwadi, therefore, becomes an on going program. Tighter planning, more intensive training for the teachers and stream lining the program in all possible ways are the future inputs that we foresee. In an effort to make this program sustainable we are training the teachers to function independently. Teachers are being involved in every step of the way.

Support:
A large part of the funds as well as support (in the form of toys, books, stationery, uniforms, and craft material) come from private individuals who believe in our cause and the philosophy of this project. The average annual cost of running a Balwadi is about $1300. This covers the salary of related staff and program expenses. How you can help