The Reach to Teach Story
The Reach to Teach story began in the state of Gujarat in 2007 and has since evolved from a doorstep school in a bus to an organisation that now works with State Governments to deliver impact at scale.
The Reach to Teach story began in the state of Gujarat in 2007 and has since evolved from a doorstep school in a bus to an organisation that now works with State Governments to deliver impact at scale.
Reach to Teach was founded by Sanjeev Gandhi, a London-based technology investor, in 2003 with the objective of bringing education to out-of-school tribal children in the remote areas of Gujarat. The initial engagement was with tribal districts like Valsad through mobile classrooms. Meals were offered to bring children to learn and build rapport with communities.
Learning Resource Centres were set up in rural communities in partnership with local non-profits. Out-of-school children were supported in developing foundational skills and transitioning back to schools. Primary teachers from the United Kingdom trained and supported para-teachers in these centres.
2007 was a milestone year for Reach to Teach as the Larry Ellison Foundation became an anchor funder giving it the impetus to scale up operations.
The learning centres integrated with government schools to improve the overall quality of school education. Developing foundational skills remained the focus and external education experts supported the community para-teachers.
This was first implemented
in Kutch district across
reaching out to
The Education & Community Programme was launched in 2015 to support teachers in classroom management and create a stimulating learning environment. Leadership training was provided to head teachers. The programme embedded itself in community to create ownership at all levels.
In 2018, Reach to Teach Foundation set up as a Section 8 Company under the Companies Act.
Direct impact:
Indirect impact:
Districts:
In 2019, a strategic shift was made to engage with the Gujarat Education Department to drive scale based on field-level learning of the past decade. The focus moved to was on supporting system-level capacity building and strengthening.
In 2020 there was an organisational shift as the Board of Directors decided that the focus of Reach to Teach’s work needed to be India. As a result, the corporate office moved from the UK to India. In March 2020, Ratna Viswanathan became the first India-based CEO and succeeded Steve Cutts who was the last UK-based Chief Executive.
Commencing 2021, Reach to Teach is systematically expanding their geographical footprint. The aim is to work across several states, with a focus on North-eastern states. We currently work in Gujarat, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
We value the dignity, rights, views, and contribution of the people we work with.
We uphold the highest ethical and legal standards in our work and interactions.
We are honest in our actions and communication.
We strive to excel in everything we do.
We work collaboratively and value diverse opinions.
We aim to be credible and reliable in our actions.
We are a diverse and dedicated team, working with commitment to realise the organisation’s vision. We strive to create an environment that fosters excellence, encourages innovation and nurtures people to succeed.
We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in terms of gender, religion, ethnicity, physical ability, age, sexual orientation and identity. We foster a culture of inclusion and respect.
© 2022 Reach to Teach
