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Labhya

place India

Making children effective learners through wellbeing and SEL.

Over 190 million children in public schools of India experience multidimensional poverty and lack the skills to learn effectively. Labhya partners with Indian state governments to co-create & ensure effective implementation of daily wellbeing classes. Our programs are enabling 2.4 million vulnerable children across 3 states of India to cope with poverty and become healthy, effective learners.
HundrED 2024
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2017

Established

1

Countries
Other
Target group
“To not feel like you are alone. To feel a sense of purpose and belonging. To feel complete. Today these are seen as luxuries. We want to create a world where these are seen as rights.”

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

Over 190 million children enrolled in public schools in India, live in poverty with a household income of $2 or less, a day. Our children are unable to cope with the consequences of poverty, leading to inattentiveness, demotivation, powerlessness, shame, anger, etc. This not only affects academic performance but also their wellbeing, relationships, emotional state and overall life choices.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Labhya partners with governments to co-create scalable & localized wellbeing and SEL programs for children across public education systems. Labhya provides end-to-end support through co-creation of curriculum, teacher capacity building, monitoring & evaluation, and support in effective implementation.

This has translated into existing public school teachers conducting a daily wellbeing class that has been integrated into the school day. Thus creating safe spaces in classrooms where children engage, reflect, and express by participating in mindfulness, stories, and activities. Our programs enable our children to form stronger relationships, have a higher interest in learning, and have increased emotional resilience as validated by agencies like Boston Consulting Group.

How has it been spreading?

Labhya's programs, which started with just a few children in 30 schools, are now impacting 2.4 million children across 22 thousand schools in 3 states of India.

Labhya has been supported by Harvard University, DRK Foundation, Mulago Foundation, London School of Economics, Selena Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund, and UNICEF among other organizations. We have also been able to share our journey and advocate for children's wellbeing globally with the support of champions like the UN and the World Bank.

Labhya is on a journey to generate strong irrefutable evidence supporting wellbeing and SEL initiatives for children. This will be catalytic in bringing children's wellbeing to the center and effectively increase support and funding in the space of wellbeing and mental health, globally.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Labhya creates open source localised curricula that is accessible globally through our government partners’ websites. We intentionally make our curricula available in order to encourage educators to create safe spaces in their classrooms. Our in-house SEL curriculum in English, designed for low-income contexts, can be made available to potential global partners on request- contact@labhya.org

Impact & scalability

Impact & Scalability

Labhya Foundation offers social and emotional learning programs for children in vulnerable contexts. By partnering with governments, multilateral organizations and non-profits, Labhya Foundation is showing a great and sustained impact in children’s lives and creating a systemic change across public education systems.

HundrED Academy/Advisory Board Reviews

By formalizing SEL into the regular school curricula this initiative can have a great long-last impact on millions of children. Independent studies have collected data that support their effort to build healthier learning environments.

High scalability evidenced by data, global engagement, and membership within India. Additionally, the clarity of the purpose and values enhances the innovation and the potential for greater scalability beyond India, engaging with wider SEL community.

- Academy/Advisory Board member
Academy/Advisory review results
Impact
Scalability
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Read more about our selection process

Media

Link
Labhya Foundation - Harvard Innovation Labs
https://innovationlabs.harvard.edu/meet/student-story/labhya-foundation/
Link
India, which has long focused on student success, now offers ‘happiness’ classes
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/india-which-has-long-focused-on-student-success-now-offers-happiness-classes/2018/07/21/203f2f10-8466-11e8-9e06-4db52ac42e05_story.html 
Link
India, which has long focused on student success, now offers ‘happiness’ classes
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/india-which-has-long-focused-on-student-success-now-offers-happiness-classes/2018/07/21/203f2f10-8466-11e8-9e06-4db52ac42e05_story.html  
Link
A Delhi, les enfants apprennent le bonheur à l’école
https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2018/08/17/a-delhi-les-enfants-apprennent-le-bonheur-a-l-ecole_5343526_4497186.html
Link
Dalai Lama launches 'Happiness Curriculum' for Delhi govt schools, to include meditation, value education till Class 8-India News , Firstpost
https://www.firstpost.com/india/dalai-lama-launches-happiness-curriculum-for-delhi-govt-schools-to-include-meditation-value-education-till-class-8-4648391.html
Link
These Indian schools are giving lessons in happiness
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/india-school-lessons-in-happiness-dalai-lama/
Link
To Focus On Students' Emotional Well-Being, India Tries 'Happiness Classes'
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/28/632761402/to-focus-on-students-emotional-well-being-india-tries-happiness-classes
Link
Melania Trump attends ‘Happiness Class’ in govt school, says curriculum inspiring
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/melania-trump-attends-happiness-class-in-govt-school-says-curriculum-inspiring/article30912161.ece
Link
Nexus of Good: Driven by motivation
Fomer Secretary of Education for India, Anil Swarup discusses Labhya and our work in detail in this article. He discusses the importance of emotional resilience and breaks down the outcomes of our program. Link to article - http://www.millenniumpost.in/opinion/nexus-of-good-driven-by-motivation-445803?infinitescroll=1
Link
Delhi's Education Minister Discusses the Importance of the Happiness Curriculum
Manish Sisodia, Education Minister of Delhi discusses the importance of the Happiness Curriculum with Richa Gupta, Co-Founder of Labhya Foundation. Article covering the discussion can be found here - https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/happiness-curriculum-aims-at-making-students-lifelong-learners-says-sisodia/story-PGBXfX0KftxyS5aUcjlESO_amp.html
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