Vidya Poshak an Overview
Vidya Poshak, India is a registered Non Government Organization (NGO),
serving education community. The organization was started by a group of
compassionate people in the year 2001 at Dharwad with the aim of supporting
financially challenged bright students.
Though Vidya Poshak started with the aim of supporting the students
financially, many other programs evolved during the journey. Some of the major
projects are Nurture Merit, Graduate Finishing School, Centre for Development
of Soft Skills and School Leadership Development Program.
Nurture Merit Program: This program includes Financial Assistance,
Library/Book Bank facilities and Residential Bridge Camp. The mission is to
provide financial assistance to meritorious students who cannot afford to
continue their higher education owing to their financial difficulties. To date
VP has invested Rs.12+ crores on this. The program entirely depends on private
org/Co and individuals. Six hundred volunteers across 23 districts are
rendering their passionate services and totally free.
1. Financial Assistance: Financial assistance to continue education post
10th grade, which will cover college fees, exam fees and transportation. Along
with this additional amount for coaching is given. In some extreme situations
additional assistance is extended to cover accommodation and boarding. The
identification of students is done by physical visits to students dwelling
units to assess the need to ensure only deserving applicant received the assistance.
More than 700 volunteers
spread across the state identify the deserving students. This is a unique feature
of Vidya Poshak. The organization
has so far disbursed more than INR 131.00 million towards financial
assistance. More than 12,600 students have been assisted in over 19 districts of
Karnataka and five districts of Maharashtra. The progress of each
student is closely monitored throughout the support period. Resources for all these programs are
generated through individual donors and private organizations who share the
social concern.
2. Books & Library Services:
Free Text books are lent to all the students through libraries and book bank
centers. Student will get academic text books on their demand to read for
1-year and then the same books are put in circulation. One Central Library, 5
branches and 57 rural Book Bank centers (all run by volunteers) are catering to
the students. So far more than 68,000 books have been given to 20,000 students
under this program.
3. Residential Bridge Camps (RBC): The RBCs aim at bringing positive
change in the Personality, Career and Skills of the students in 9 days of
residential camps. Arranging various skill and need based training for the
students gives the students an exposure and also builds confidence in them. It is
an effort to bridge the gap between the student and her/his dream. It augments
the needs of students which they rarely get in their formal schooling. Under
this program more than 5000+ students have been trained through 102 camps.
The Graduate Finishing School
The Graduate Finishing School (GFS) is Vidya
Poshak’s answer for the problems faced by fresh graduates when entering the job
market. GFS is a three month intensive residential program to give graduates
from economically disadvantaged backgrounds the life skills, computer
knowledge, career guidance, soft skills and English skills they need to
successfully find meaningful employment. The trainer to student ratio is 1:8. The
students are trained every day, ten hours a day, for three months. The training
methodology is learner-centered and learner-led, with daily mentor-led activity
sessions in groups of no more than eight. The program helps these students find
placement with various companies, mainly in the service sector. So for more
than 1500+ students have been trained and placed maintaining consistently 100%
placement.
Centre for
Development of Soft Skills(C-DOSS): C-DOSS, a training wing of Vidya Poshak established to
cater the soft skills training requirements in this region. Since its inception
C-DOSS has trained 60,000 students, 3466 Teachers and 3834 Employees from more
than 300 institutes. CDOSS is a business as well as nonprofit module of Vidya
Poshak. C-DOSS aims at providing quality training at affordable cost to the
rural collages. C-DOSS conducts workshops for teachers, students, parents and
employees.
Education Loan awareness and Advocacy Program:
(ELaaP) In order to enable youth to acquire the
technological and professional skills, Government of India has formulated a
policy of providing Education Loan and Loan for Vocation Education and
Training. These endeavors need propagation to the corners of the country in
order to succeed. Vidya Poshak is proud to launch the Education Loan Awareness
and Advocacy Program to enable this propagation. Vidya Poshak is
conducting awareness campaigns in collaboration with banks and government
officials to guide deserving students in getting education or vocational
training loans. In 2012 Vidya Poshak created awareness among 5000+
students in getting education loans.
Finally, the spirit of Vidya Poshak’s philosophy
of holistic empowerment is simply being there for the students. If the students
need guidance, counseling or simply someone to call, Vidya Poshak team is eager
to take up that role.
So far:
·
In all 3210 graduates have settled through gain full
employment in their life and brought their families out the clutches of economic
backwardness.
·
70,000
students and 4,866 teachers and 4,734 employees were trained through different
training program.
·
More than 20,000
students have been assisted with 50,000 books.
·
More than 200
Million Indian rupees invested in last 12 years for Empowerment of Youth.
Awards/Honours:
·
Vidya Poshak was the regional finalist for “Apeejay India Volunteer Award” in the
category ‘volunteer involving NGO of the year 2011’.
·
Vidya Poshak was adjudged as “Technology for NGO” by
Microsoft, USA and a video document on VP could be seen on MS website.
·
Declared as a Platinum Partner by Deshpande
Foundation in the year 2009.
·
Vidya Poshak is honored by Kannada Sahitya
Parishattu, Dharwad taluk in its First Sahitya Sammelana Dharwad.
Please contact Details: VENKATESH.
N, for more details.
First Floor, Yashoda Sadana, Vidyagiri, Dharwad
580 004, Karnataka, India
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