School Radio, an initiative of Digital School is a Social Enterprise in India that is empowering children by developing IEC materials (information, education and communication), conducting training programmes and workshops, helping children develop digital content, and publishing print, electronic publications and digital films that are focused on children and youth.
Vikasa Dhatri (www.vikasadhatri.org) is another initiative of Digital school that offers Telugu eBooks for free download. So far, Vikasa Dhatri has developed and offered 350 Telugu eBooks (fiction and non-fiction) for free. Most of the books offered by Vikasa Dhatri, focus on various social issues, governance, and environment.
The founders…
Digital School is founded by Gali Aruna and her husband Udaya Kumar Gali. Aruna has worked in reputed NGOs, CSR and with the AP state government. She is a recipient of the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitization through the Web Medium- (www.vikasadhatri.org) in 2016. She received the Human Rights Champion Award at National Conference at Youth for Human Rights India, 2015.
Aruna received “Best Performing Project Officer Award” from Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, on the International Ozone Day -2001 from the Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India. She produced and edited many videos on different topics for Vikasa Dhatri (www.youtube.com/vikasadhatri). She facilitated the production of 55 short films on sustainable agricultural practices, elimination of rural poverty, etc.
Udaya Kumar Gali is a Trainer, Author, Writer and a Journalist. He has authored and published 50 books and 10 board games for children, and teachers’ resource materials. He has written stories for children on environmental concepts, which was widely circulated and published by National Green Corps, and Biodiversity Board of Andhra Pradesh.
Udaya Kumar has developed and produced over a thousand specialized articles on consumer rights, and has participated in over 100 radio talks on consumer rights and environment, in All India Radio, He has developed training modules for Centre for Environment Education, Centre for Science and Environment, and CP Ramaswamy Aiyar Foundation.
School Radio was pre-incubated at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore.
What do you do…
School Radio promotes content that impacts the immediate community and society. This is done through our online Radio platform for Schools, Colleges and Universities. We offer training, broadcast time slots, and a separate channel for each Educational Institution that maps into their needs.
School Radio is the platform where children and youth come together to create their own local specific content and explore solutions to issues they are facing. The process of School Radio production creates an opportunity to identify, conceptualize, create, engage, explore, and empower themselves by creating content using technology. School Radio offers training programmes to teachers on Virtual Engagement, Environment Education, Radio Production, Video Production, Waste Management, Composting and Lesson Planning, Concept Mapping, Mind Mapping, Root Cause Analysis and 21 Century Skills and offers internship programmes to Educational Institutions.
The Process…
School Radio offers, a three days training on Radio Production. This is tailored to cater to the needs of young children to broadcast their voices. School Radio allows them to explore their creative abilities, power of imagination and leadership skills. This helps students gain confidence, shed their fears, learn to speak over mic, and public without any inhibitions. Children also learn the importance of team work, conflict resolution, negotiation, and critical thinking skills.
The exposure opens up exciting career options for children such as Content Developers, Writers, Story Tellers, Editors, Sound Engineers, Sound Editors, Radio Artists, Voice Over Artists, Announcers, News Readers, Producers, Programme Executives, Radio Anchors, Multimedia Journalists, Web Journalists, Public Speakers, and Change Makers.
Impact…
School Radio has impacted the lives of 4,000 students and 300 teachers of 50 schools in 19 districts of 5 states in India. They have produced content in Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Gujarati and English by children and youth. Academicians and professionals of different walks of life have produced content on School Radio from across the 19 states and 6 countries.
School Radio, mentored children who participated in the National Womens’ Parliament held at Vijayawada-Amaravathi in the year 2017. School Radio set up a stall with students studying in SC and ST Residential Schools of Andhra Pradesh state government. It was a great learning opportunity for children to get exposed to meet people from different walks of life, to interview, interact and participate in the international event, to understand the issues related to women, their success stories, and their leadership and their journey as entrepreneurs. One girl child, who is part of School Radio, got selected for HAM radio operations in Visakhapatnam District. Children shed their fears to speak in the assembly.
As young change-makers, children and youth have been creating content on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and narrating stories of SDG Change-makers. During the Pandemic, COVID-19, School Radio began training sessions online.
Who can participate?
Students of educational institutions, individuals children, youth and their family members, and members of a community can participate in the process of School Radio Production.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/schoolradioin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schoolradioindia
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/schoolradio
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/school-radio-india
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/schoolradio.in
Contact
Email: schoolradio.in@gmail.com
