About Pardada Pardadi

Curriculum

Pardada Pardadi is a vocational school, which means half the day in school is spent on regular studies like Math, Science, and Hindi and the rest of the day is spent learning vocational skills.

Students learning to cook!

Our students also gain life skills such as learning about leadership, current affairs, dance, theater, music, sports, health and hygiene, family-life issues, gender issues, money management, rural development, and goods production and management.

Vocational Training

One key mission of PPES is to enable our students to be economically independent. To change the current trend of total reliance on husbands, these girls need marketable skills. Thus, in addition to their value-based education, starting in 6th grade, our students are trained in the art of producing textiles. This includes fine hand-embroidered, machine-embroidered, applique work and block printing to create home furnishings like table covers, duvets, sheets, curtains, and gift items like picture frames, trays, dairies, and coasters.

Students in the classroom

The goods produced by the school are then sold through the Pardada Pardadi website, exhibitions and melas, and other partnerships with designers. All proceeds are then reinvested in the school to help cover the cost of student education.

Health

Health and hygiene are key practices PPES teaches and encourages within the school. Immunizations are provided to our students as needed. Total check-ups are provided as students join the school. During their tenure, periodic check-ups are conducted for all students, and students are trained about the importance of a balanced diet. Recently PPES has also initiated an Adolescent Health Training course for its students.

Computer Center

In 2004 the school received a grant from the Public Affairs Office of the US Embassy to provide computer education. The computer lab, named after Helen Keller (an American icon for the physically challenged), is equipped with twenty computers and two printers. The lab runs on diesel generators because the area experiences erratic power. Students are taught basic computer skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

In the computer lab

School Costs

Program and operational costs include:

• Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks given during the school day
• Material for the students’ uniforms
• Academic supplies (textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils, etc.)
• Vocational materials (cloth, thread, sewing machines, embroidery machines, cutting machines, wooden frames, blocks and paint, etc.)
• Student field trips
• Finishing units for home furnishings: automatic washing machine, drying, ironing, and packaging supplies
• Computer equipment
• Transport and power supply in the school
• Teachers for English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Math, Science, Drawing, and Social Studies
• Vocational teachers for home furnishings and textile work
• Administrative and development staff
• Building materials and construction costs
• Diesel generators for power supply, as electricity in this area is not reliable
• Furniture for classrooms and offices