Rural Reach: Bridging Educational Gaps for Rural Students

Rural Reach is an initiative in project Punnagai Paalam to identify students from rural background and support them for their higher school education. This effort is to make sure SMILE supports quality education for those underprivileged students who are not able to pursue their higher education due to financial circumstances and to reduce the number of dropouts in school.

Reason behind Rural Reach:

SMILE has been working for the upliftment of underprivileged children in Chennai from 2004 and has been exposed to the condition of children both in the city and the sub-urban and rural areas adjoining it. There is a substantial amount of difference between the aid that a child gets in a city like Chennai and that a child from a small village would get.

The exposure level for the village/ rural students is low compared to underprivileged children at city. The number of NGO’s & Corporate Social Responsibility wing supporting the higher secondary education of children within the city is high compared to a village. The number of drop outs after Xth standard is considerably high at village schools due to lack of proper guidance or support.

Through this project; SMILE provides financial & tuition assistance for students from low income group to pursue their education for the next two years in XIth and XIIth standard.

The scholarship will be given as non-repayable amount. SMILE will establish agreement with local tuition masters in each village where it extends support for the children from the vicinity.

• The benefits to the children through this program are as follows :
  • A dedicated coaching for effective learning
  • “Scholarship for college education for the students who have done well in school”
  • Access to educational materials, guides and question banks
  • Special coaching on weekends from experienced volunteers.
  1. Career guidance
  2. Learning Style
  3. Memory Techniques
  4. Test Analysis
  5. Time Managemet

Rural reach is implemented in Cheyyar and surrounding villages from 2009 and students from more than 6 schools have been benefited so far.

Please click here to look at the list of the students and financial assistance provided to them under Rural Reach

If you are interested to join Rural Reach, Please contact Mr.Tamilvanan