Project Brief: Funding part of the operating budget of Olcott Memorial School
Project Type: Formal Schools (description)
Primary Focus: children from slums (description)

Secondary Focus: other

Area: Tribal
Supporting Chapter Contact:
St. Louis

Status: CURRENT
Project Steward: Chidu Subbaih
Project Partner(s): Sashikala Sriram
Project Address: Olcott Education Society - Olcott Memorial High School
New No.2, (Old No.28) Besant Avenue,
Besant Nagar
Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600090
Tel: 91-984109142
Stewarding Chapter: St. Louis

OMS is a Tamil medium free school serving the needs of the slum children in and around Besant Nagar in Chennai. The St. Louis chapter is supporting a portion of the ongoing operating budget of Olcott Memorial School (OMS).

OMS provides a range of services beyond formal education: Healthcare, nutritional oversight, a midday meal, counseling services for those with special needs, an English lab, and a starch (kanji) breakfast that helps sustain the children's energy levels for learning. High school students are also offered a craft course lasting 3 years that helps them gain marketable skills and see the results of sustained efforts. Administrators make the environment parent friendly. An awards program in conjunction with other institutions has been instated to reward and incentivize students to be leaders within their own vulnerable communities, emphasize interdependence and independence as well as physical sports.

OMS believes in the importance of providing high quality education to these children equivalent to those available to those of privileged socio-economic backgrounds.

These relatively innovative strategies offer the following important benefits:
1) Retains students.
2) Empowers them with the integral abilities and skills to rise above their social and economic enclaves.
3) Be able to operate amidst those in higher socio-economic levels.
3) Keeps the children free of chronic ailments and other stresses of their home environments. (OMHS was a leader in pioneering the midday meal scheme, and also innovative in offering breakfast and sustained medical infrastructure).
4) Fosters further change from within by empowering students to become integral leaders in their communities.

Asha St. Louis funding will support
- Notebooks and Stationery material
- Healthcare facilities
- Maintenance of library and labs, including computers
- Maintenance of crafts and introduction of vocational training
- Annual educational excursions / field trips

These items are substantially supported by St. Louis Asha Star, Mohan Chellaswami and family.

Asha Arizona and Silicon Valley will additionally support Teacher Training and Development as well as some of the Healthcare facility costs.

Asha Arizona, Silicon Valley & Portland have helped fund a project to bridge the digital divide for these children.
See: <a>Digital Bridge Project Page</a>

Asha Irvine and the Work An Hour Asha wide effort helped fund their high school improvement projects, including renovation of their water and toilet facilities, so that children can learn and practice hygiene, which supplements their marketable skills.
See: <a>High School Improvement Project Page</a>
.