Ummeed Inclusive Fellowship Programme
Inclusive education has gained momentum in India in recent years with new policies at the government level but still significant gaps exist between these policies and their implementation at the school level. While there has been some focus on understanding gaps, challenges and barriers to inclusion, very little attention has been given to interventions that can address these gaps.
The project focuses on addressing the gaps to solve the barriers to inclusion in our educational system. The project is a two-year fellowship where the fellows will be placed in schools to create Inclusion Champions who will work in schools to create an ecosystem where all children, including children with disabilities, can thrive. Through intensive off site and onsite training and continuous mentorship, these Inclusion Champions will bring together all stakeholders (teachers, parents, students and school leadership) in the school to
- Initiate dialogues about the importance of inclusion
- Provide training and support to build internal resources within the educational systems
- Create inclusive spaces that are more accepting of children with diverse needs
- Put systems in place towards sustainable inclusion
Ummeed Child Development Centre is a nonprofit organization which established in 2001. The organization focuses and works for the children with developmental disabilities. The Ummeed Team consists of Trained professionals. They provide clinical services to the children in need, also they work for providing training to the health professionals too willing to be a part of their cadre of working for children with special needs.
The direct outcomes of this program will be the development of a pre-determined set of skills and competencies in the Fellows graduating from this program. These Fellows would then influence changes in the awareness, skillset and behaviours of all stakeholders within the schools they work in.
In the long term, the program aims to support children with varied needs in participating and engaging in schools to the best of their potential.