India Community Challenge

In India, 45% of the country’s poor are illiterate and only 15% complete secondary school or higher. Many families living in poverty have to make the difficult decision not to invest in their children’s education and put them to work to make ends meet. On top of this, low fee-paying schools that are accessible to poor families and those living in rural areas are have limited funding and resources to be able to provide a high quality education.

 

how you can help

As a participant on the Community Challenge, you will be working on a range of projects that help improve education quality at our partner schools in Palampur, which could include:

• Running life skills workshops that build children’s confidence and encourage transferable skills like problem solving, conflict resolution, teamwork, career planning and leadership.

• Delivering conversational English lessons that will provide opportunities for further education and well-paying jobs later in life.

• STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) workshops that encourage experimentation and innovation and help develop children’s creativity.

• Working on a small-scale renovation project, such as painting a mural, to improve learning environments and promote school attendance.

speak to a caa representative about this program

Program structure

When you arrive in India you’ll be met by our team at the airport. Over the next few days you’ll have a thorough induction and orientation where you’ll learn about Indian culture and history, get your bearings around town, meet community partners and gain a better understanding of the context of the projects you’re working on.

 

Over two weeks, you’ll take part in your project Monday – Friday with the weekend free to do your own travel and exploring. Your day will usually be structured with a morning session (approx. 3 hours) after breakfast and then a session of the same length after lunch. Your afternoons and evenings will be free for you to relax and explore town or do any required planning for the next day.

On the last day, you’ll either be transported back to the airport or you can join our extension trip tour of the best sites across India!

 

download the itinerary for a day-by-day overview of the program

extend your program

After your program you can join our optional extension trip for $950 and spend a week on the most spectacular tour of India! You'll begin by heading to Amristar where you'll visit the Golden Temple and watch the famous lowering of the flags ceremony at the Wagah Border. Next up is Agra where you'll spend time exploring the Red Fort, local markets and the one and only Taj Mahal! Your final destination will be Delhi where you'll visit the Old and New cities and have plenty of time to do you own exploring before catching your flight home. 

 

Learn more about the program from one of our alumni