Kesla Science Initiative

We often find a gap between school culture and students’ home culture, which needs to be bridged for meaningful and relevant learning to happen in the classroom. This gap is wider for students from marginalized backgrounds, such as those from tribal communities, whose culture, language, and knowledge systems are undervalued and looked down upon. In order to address such issues, we intend to explore the possibilities of a culturally relevant, meaningful, and transformative science education in a tribal context.

Towards this aim, we work closely with students and community members in the context of twelve community-based learning centers in the Kesla block of Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh which has a sizable population of tribal communities (mostly Gond and Korku). The centers facilitate students’ learning, help us build rapport with the community and gain insights into their funds of knowledge. Providing local teachers and community volunteers with necessary academic support and building a network for collective reflection on classroom practices are essential components of the program. Research is an integral part of all these strands of work. Through this work, we propose to develop learning modules at the middle school level that will help to link students’ academic learning with their lived experiences.