Central Square Foundation

A non-profit organisation working to ensure quality school education in India, with a focus on #FoundationalLearning. Founded by @AshishDhawanTCF

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

Do parents really know where their child is falling behind in school? That thought is the premise behind the latest Opinion piece in @the_hindu by @kapilkhurana , Associate Project Director, School Governance, CSF) and Dr I V Subba Rao, Senior Advisor, CSF, on why school learning outcomes data must be made widely available.

In Angul (Odisha) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan), simple School Report Cards have reached over one lakh parents across 2,500+ schools. Parents discuss them with principals and teachers in School Management Committee (SMC) and parent-teacher meetings.

The real test of disclosure is whether parents ask questions, schools respond, and the system supports them to improve. Stay tuned for more such thought pieces and updates as part of a week-long celebration of Children's Day through our digital campaign #BuniyaadKalKi: Pehle Shikshit, Phir Viksit, (13 - 21 Nov).

Read the full Op-Ed: https://t.co/s3oFp07Jpw

#BuniyaadKalKi #ChildrensDay #SchoolReportCards #FoundationalLearning #CentralSquareFoundation #SchoolLearningData #FLN #ChildrensDay

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

The Top 10 teams of the AI for Foundational Learning Hackathon are here! 🚀

After 10 exciting weeks of ideation, innovation, and building, we are thrilled to announce the Top 10 teams advancing to the Grand Finale of the ‘AI for Foundational Learning Hackathon’ — an initiative of #ShikshaNext, in collaboration with @AnthropicAI !

💡 What began with challenges identified by the #FoundationalLearning ecosystem has brought forward a diverse range of creative ideas and working solutions powered by frontier AI. Throughout the journey, participating teams were supported by foundational learning domain experts and technical mentors, who helped them refine their approaches and strengthen their solutions.

🏆 What's next? On 18 November 2026, the Top 10 teams will present their solutions before our jury at the Grand Finale, competing for a total cash prize pool of ₹10 lakh.

🎉 Many congratulations to the Top 10 teams. We can't wait to see these innovations take centre stage and contribute to the FLN-EdTech ecosystem!

ShikshaNext is anchored by the @DellFdn , @ril_foundation and @gatesfoundation as Founding Strategic Partners, Central Square Foundation as Managing Partner and Anthropic as Supporting Partner.
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#EdTech #AI #Hackathon #IndiaBuilds #AIInnovation #IndiaInnovationStory #BuildingSolutions #FoundationalLearning #SabkaEdTech #BuildForIndia #Hack2Skill #Anthropic

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

Foundational learning doesn’t have to be a trade-off between speed, cost, and reach.

India has made significant progress in prioritising Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (#FLN) since the onset of the #NIPUNBharat Mission in 2021, yet millions of children continue to fall behind. Addressing this gap requires solutions that can deliver the effectiveness, personalisation and scale needed to achieve transformative learning gains within defined timeframes.

To explore this, @xprize , has launched #XPRIZEAccelerateLearning: a $6 million, two-year global competition to redefine what’s possible in foundational learning. It aims to identify and validate breakthrough solutions that enable children to master FLN early, equitably, and at scale, and create proven models with the potential to transform learning for millions.

XPRIZE is bringing the competition to India through two distinct tracks: the Last Mile Moonshot Track and the Core Track through a partnership with ShikshaNext and @britishasiantst (BAT).

ShikshaNext is excited to be the strategic partner to XPRIZE for the Last Mile Moonshot track in India that aims to uncover transformative tech-based solutions that can achieve 50 percentage point learning gains in FLN at under US$40 per child per year.

This competition is open to innovators worldwide: entrepreneurs, researchers, educators, technologists, and the non-profit sector. It aims to identify, test and validate transformative, affordable, scalable solutions that strengthen FLN skills for Grade 1 students.

Registrations opened worldwide on 10 November 2026 and close on 15 February 2027 for the Moonshot track and 15 March 2027 for the Core track.
Register a team: https://t.co/hbitOcKSOb

ShikshaNext is a bold, multi donor, multi year initiative aimed at improving learning outcomes for children from underserved communities across India. ShikshaNext is anchored by @DellFdn , @gatesfoundation as Founding Strategic Partners, and Central Square Foundation as the Managing Partner. Learn more at https://t.co/ZlQdAPBRVQ

#XPRIZEAccelerateLearning #FoundationalLearning #ShikshaNext #EdTech #IndaLearns #DigitalLearning #SabkaEdTech #IndiaInnovation #IndiaEdTech #AIInnovation

[XPRIZE @xprize]

We're proud to launch #XPRIZEAccelerateLearning, a $6M, two-year global competition aimed at identifying breakthrough solutions that help children master literacy and numeracy early, equitably, and at scale. Register a team today: https://t.co/u8QGhWOPRG

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

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[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

“You cannot aspire to something you have never seen.”

That is how K. S. Upadhyay, Additional Director of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, explains why industry exposure is part of Delhi’s CM Shri Schools. Most students come from families where no one has worked in a corporate office, a research laboratory or a technology company, so the world of professional work stays invisible to them.

In this conversation, featured in the latest edition of the EDge, he talks about what a model public school should look like, how the CM SHRI model approaches excellence and equity, and how programmes like a 3-week robotics bootcamp for 100 students at IIIT-Delhi connect school to the working world.

Read the full conversation: https://t.co/snOhRoILdZ

@upadhyayKS7

#CMSHRISchools #PublicEducation #SchoolEducation #Delhi #SabkaEdTech

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

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[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

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[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

Swipe through for a look at Diwali at Central Square Foundation (CSF).

We took some time out to celebrate together. We played games, and there were chocolates and gifts.

Most days, our teams are busy with their own work, whether that is working with governments or partners across the country. Diwali was a chance to sit together and talk about things other than work.

Our work is about quality school education for all children across India, and it gets done by people working together. Afternoons like this are part of how we do that.

Happy Diwali to everyone who works with us, and to your families 🪔

#Diwali #HappyDiwali #LifeAtCSF #CentralSquareFoundation

@SnehankitaBorah , @HemaniJain

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs) tend to centre on marks. In Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, the district set out to change that.

The Holistic Progress Card (HPC) records a child’s learning levels, attendance, strengths and the support they need. On 16 October, all 1,380 government schools opened their doors to parents for a Mega PTM built around it. 72,723 children and 38,944 parents took part.

It was planned as a campaign, not a one-day event. The district printed over 1 lakh HPCs, shared an explainer video with teachers, and gave every school a common agenda with 60 minutes for HPC-based dialogue.

On the day, District Magistrate (DM) @gaurangrathi , Chief Development Officer (CDO) Rameshwar Sudhakar Sabbanwar and Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Jitendra Gond visited schools along with block officials. In 98.3% of 303 monitoring visits, teachers were discussing learning levels with parents. The district also worked with the Chief Medical and Health Officer’s office to add a Health page to the HPC.

The real test of the HPC is whether this conversation continues after PTM day.

@Bsajhansi @CdoJhansi @Jhansi_DM @basicshiksha_up

#HolisticProgressCard #FoundationalLearning #EducationSystems #CentralSquareFoundation

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

“During elections, we train people and equip them with the necessary resources, and the process is carried out successfully. In education, too, we train teachers and provide resources, yet learning outcomes have remained largely stagnant in national surveys. The difference is that, during elections, we track what is happening on the ground; in education, we often fail to track what is actually happening in classrooms.”

Kumar Nishant Vivek, IAS, Director, Primary Education, Bihar, shared this at DIET Sonpur (Saran district), where he spent around 40 minutes at a training for Complex Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCCs).

Across Bihar, 8,825 CRCCs are now being trained to observe classrooms and mentor teachers, using the Classroom Observation Tool on the state’s E-Shikshakosh App.

Central Square Foundation (CSF) supported the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in developing the training module and mentor handbook, and has observed the trainings across districts.

The real test will be whether classroom observation moves beyond routine monitoring and becomes a chance for teachers to keep learning and improving.

#Bihar #ClassroomObservation #TeacherSupport #EducationSystems #CentralSquareFoundation

@BiharEducation_

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

Alex Counts, author and Founder and Executive Director of the India Philanthropy Alliance, is in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR and Kolkata from 2 to 5 November for conversations on philanthropy, leadership and fundraising. CSF is glad to be among the partners.

[Alex Counts @AlexCounts]

Some of the most valuable insights come from conversations with people doing the work.​​

Drawing on lessons from my work and writing, I’ll share perspectives on nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and the ideas explored in my three books: Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind, When in Doubt, Ask for More, and Small Loans, Big Dreams. I look forward to exchanging ideas with fellow practitioners., , alongside opportunities to exchange perspectives on how collaboration can strengthen philanthropy and nonprofit initiatives across India.​​

I’m grateful to @prathamusa and the India Philanthropy Alliance for hosting this gathering, with Central Square Foundation as a key partner.​​
📅 5 November 2026 | 3:00–4:30 PM​​
📍 Mandarin Hall, Taj Hotel Kolkata​​

Copies of Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind will be available courtesy of @CSF_India.​​

Registration: https://t.co/mG4OefMjty​

#AlexCounts #BookTalk #Philanthropy #Microfinance #nonprofits

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

Every first Tuesday of the month, teachers, Anganwadi Workers and resource persons across Uttar Pradesh log in to the Monthly Balvatika Webinar.

Central Square Foundation (CSF) facilitates the session in support of the Department of Basic Education, Uttar Pradesh. It is open to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) educators, Anganwadi Workers, Pre-Primary Nodal Teachers, Academic Resource Persons (ARPs), State Resource Group (SRG) members and others who support Balvatika at the school, block, district and state levels.

Each session covers the unit currently being taught in Balvatika, along with a recap of the previous one. A post-test is shared after the webinar, and participants who answer correctly are acknowledged. The session also makes space for educators to share classroom practices that are working in their schools, so that ideas travel from one classroom to another.

In the coming three months, the webinars will:

•Look at the significance of upcoming festivals and suggest classroom activities around them
•Introduce English letters to Balvatika children
•Support the department’s School Readiness Phase 1 programme in the last month of the academic year, so that children move into Grade 1 with confidence

Good ECCE practice grows when the people doing the work learn from each other, month after month.

Watch the previous webinar here: https://t.co/ev43Vq0BRo

@basicshiksha_up

#Balvatika #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ECCE #UttarPradesh #CentralSquareFoundation

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

At the Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) on 26 September 2026, Ghaziabad formally introduced Holistic Progress Cards (HPC) across 446 schools, among the first districts in Uttar Pradesh to bring the HPC into PTM discussions.

Sh. Kumar Saurabh, Chief Development Officer, visited C.S. Madhuban Bapudham and spoke with students, parents and teachers about the HPC. Sh. O.P. Yadav, Basic Shiksha Adhikari, explained the HPC to parents himself and encouraged them to take a bigger part in their children's learning journeys.

On PTM day, average student attendance was 70.7% and average parent attendance reached 53.3%, a clear rise in parent participation compared to earlier PTMs. Close to 91% of parents responded "positively" or "very positively" to the HPC.

The real test of the HPC is not whether a card was printed, but whether a parent understood it and found a way to support their child's learning. The next milestone is the March cycle, when completed HPCs go home to parents, and our focus is on keeping the momentum alive and supporting schools and teachers on the last mile.

#HolisticProgressCards #Education #FLN #UttarPradesh #CentralSquareFoundation

@basicshiksha_up @ChiefGhaziabad

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

At the IBSA Symposium in Cape Town on 21 October, @Ghattamaneni represented Central Square Foundation (CSF) on a panel on partnerships, sharing a message on what effective collaboration takes. The fundamental question was looking at how partnerships can translate into coherent support for teachers and ensuring better learning outcomes for children. The message was clear: “A shared framework does not mean every partner must work in the same way. It means different contributions fit together around a common direction. Teachers should experience support that makes sense as a whole. Children should experience the progress it is meant to create.”

Joining speakers from the @gatesfoundation ,Centro Lemann and the Bana Pele Orchestration Team, Suresh highlighted a fundamental principle of systems change: partnerships work best when diverse efforts align towards a shared vision.

The real test of collaboration is not how many organisations are in the room, but whether a teacher in the classroom experiences a coherent system of support. Under the theme “Strong Foundations, Shared Futures”, the symposium brought India, Brazil and South Africa together around efforts towards a proposed IBSA Network on Quality Foundational Learning.

#IBSA #FoundationalLearning #EducationSystems #CentralSquareFoundation

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

CSF is committed to #FLN for every child in India. As the #IBSA countries work to strengthen cooperation on quality foundational learning, we continue to work alongside state governments to support #FLN on the ground.
#FoundationHaiSahi

[Dep. Basic Education @DBE_SA]

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) today participates in the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Technical Meeting on Quality Foundational Learning, which seeks to strengthen cooperation among the three countries to improve foundational literacy, numeracy and learning outcomes for children.

Mr Paddy Padayachee, Deputy Director-General for Business Intelligence at DBE, highlights the importance of South-South cooperation in sharing policy experiences, research and innovative approaches to addressing common educational challenges.

The meeting focuses on the proposed IBSA Network on Quality Foundational Learning, including its governance and operational modalities, a draft outcome document, potential strategic partnerships and the establishment of a technical fund to support research, innovation and implementation.

Through this collaboration, India, Brazil and South Africa aim to strengthen education systems, advance equitable access to quality foundational learning and promote sustainable solutions that benefit children across the Global South.

#IBSA #FoundationalLearning #EducationForAll

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

AI Samarth, our AI literacy initiative, is now part of a course for around 80,000 government school teachers in Andhra Pradesh.

The School Education Department has directed teachers of Classes VI to VIII to complete the AI Foundations and Literacy course by the end of October, as covered by @timesofindia ( Vidya Dusi). The course pairs AI Samarth with Bodhan AI resources on lesson planning, differentiated learning materials, diagnostic assessment and student support.

What stands out to us is that completion means finishing the modules and the assessment, not just enrolling. Teachers also get live hands-on sessions to try AI tools for planning and assessment.

Read the full article here: https://t.co/RR1Kiv7DZ9

#AISamarth #AIinEducation #Edtech #CentralSquareFoundation

@Bodhan_AI @WSAI_IITM

[Central Square Foundation @CSF_India]

23,746 students. 810 schools. A focused effort to strengthen foundational learning.

In Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, the Catch-Up Karao, NIPUN Banao Abhiyaan is bringing targeted practice into classrooms to help students in Grades 1 and 2 address learning gaps and prepare for the upcoming NIPUN Vidyalaya Aaklan (NVA).

Launched by District Magistrate Shri Anupam Shukla on 27 September 2026, the month-long initiative follows baseline assessments of over 20,000 students and covers 23,746 students across 810 ARP-adopted schools. We are proud to support this district-wide effort in collaboration with the district administration and education teams.

As part of this effort, Central Square Foundation has helped develop weekly Hindi and Mathematics practice worksheets, contextualised for Ghazipur. Teachers facilitate one hour of daily practice in each subject, helping students strengthen their #FLN skills.

Together, these efforts demonstrate how strong administrative ownership, contextualised academic support and teacher initiative can help more children build a strong foundation for learning.

#FoundationalLearning #NIPUNBharat #Education #UttarPradesh #CentralSquareFoundation

@basicshiksha_up @AdminGhazipur @CdoGhazipu83796