Our mission is to bring high quality education to children in rural India where access to schools that offer quality education is either non existent, or unaffordable.
Quality schools are prohibitively expensive for children from poor families, especially in rural areas in India. And according to the World Development Report 2018, in rural India, just under three-quarters of students in grade three could not solve a two-digit subtraction.
RISE School in Samiyandhipudhur village (13 km from Pollachi town, Tamil Nadu, India) is a not-for-profit school that aims to provide well-rounded quality education to rural children at affordable costs. Rise is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID 91-6542513).
RISE foundation was established in the year 2000. Capital costs were raised through contributions from founders, families and friends. Research was done to identify rural areas that needed a school for disadvantaged children.
Rise school construction finally began in the remote village of Samiyandhipudhur, located amidst serene coconut groves on the foothills of the Western Ghats, in Tamil Nadu, India.
In 2004, RISE foundation school doors opened with four promising students and an ox cart to bring them to school!.
As social mindsets towards the importance of education grew, slowly but surely, students started trickling in. And, with every successful year, RISE elementary established a new grade level to accomodate new enrolling students.
Today, over 300 children are enrolled at RISE School from kindergarden to 8th Grade. The school has 14 teaching, 4 extra-curricular and 8 non-teaching staff. There are over 14 classrooms, a computer and science lab, a library, an administrative block, a large playground and 4 transport vehicles.
RISE School is affiliated to the Tamil Nadu State Matriculation Board. The Montessori method of education is also leveraged to provide a strong foundation. The medium of instruction is English, while Tamil (local language) and Hindi are also taught.
Students are trained in Yoga, Karate, Indian classical dance, athletics, life skills, gender equality and agriculture. Technology and innovative teaching practices (online live tutoring, use of tablets) are used to make learning fun.
RISE school is strategically constructed on 4 acres of land, surrounded by 5 acres for homes for mentors and 7 acres dedicated to sustainably harvested orchards.
Staff, trained on Organic farming practices, teach students about best practices in agriculture. Currently, there are Coconut (over 400 trees), Banana, Mango, Guava, Sapodilla, Gooseberry, Maize and Groundnut trees thriving.
RISE School has a 'Volunteer to be a Mentor program' that attracts teachers from around the world. The mentors live on the campus and are involved in the school's curriculum. Our volunteer program helps us find experienced individuals, who help fill the gaps in specialized skills that are harder to find in remote rural India.