Background

As world leaders, governments, and the public have constantly been working towards the goal of equal education for all over the last few decades, many individuals and communities have started realizing the importance of accessing the right to education from one’s earliest days. However, despite the constant efforts to bridge the fissures and faultlines in ensuring equal access to education for all, recent statistics showed that 1 out of 4 children aged five never had access to any form of pre-primary education (UNESCO, 2023). There is no skepticism about the necessity of early childhood care and education (ECCE), as these are the essential fertilizers that enable children to reach their developmental potential as adults by nourishing them with the intellectual, social, and emotional resources required to participate in economic and civic life effectively. Keeping the global and local contexts in mind, what does this mean for learners from socio-economically underprivileged backgrounds? 

Across the world, only half of all countries guarantee free pre-primary education. The pandemic had devastating effects on ECCE, with many learning spaces shutting down, resulting in 19 billion person-days of ECCE instruction lost and 10.75 million children unable to reach their developmental potential in the first 11 months of the pandemic (UNESCO 2023). In the case of developing countries, such as India, the rural-urban digital divide and the lack of access of individuals from underprivileged communities to educational resources created a rupture in their learning journeys that had long-term consequences in their academic and cognitive development trajectories. How do we ensure that every young child has sustained access to quality education, even amidst disruptions and adversities, along with meeting their unique needs? It is at this juncture that Th!ink steps in to hold the hands of young children through their early days of learning. 

There are ample alternative learning platforms and initiatives in the present-day landscape, but Project Th!nk’s approach makes it stand apart from its counterparts. With empathy and care at its heart, our goal is to foster a brighter tomorrow - a tomorrow where everyone can think confidently, comfortably, and unapologetically.