ApniPatshala is a network of community-based learning centers which:

• Provide students with a wide range of learning resources and materials, including books (library), online resources (computers with internet access), and hands-on activities (maker labs for tinkering)
• Encourage students to take ownership of their learning by allowing them to set their own goals, based on their personal interests, and make decisions about what they want to learn when they want to learn, and how they want to learn it.
• Give students the time and space to explore their interests and pursue their own learning projects. Curiosity propels intrinsic motivation
• Empower students to share their learning with each other and reflect on their progress. They should do this online as well, using their personal website to showcase what they have learned
• Offer support and guidance (aka scaffolding) for students as they navigate their learning if they need this, and also give them the freedom to make their own decisions and take responsibility for their learning.
• Use different formative assessment methods that allow students to demonstrate their learning in a way that is meaningful to them, rather than relying solely on standardized tests.
• Celebrate and recognize students’ successes in self-directed learning and provide opportunities for them to share their learning with a wider audience – both online and in the real world!

With the help of community-based learning pods, families can work together to find a suitable method to support their child’s education and to enable others to do the same. They have an educational focus, and also take into account the need to equip students with the life-skills they need to succeed in the future.