We’re phenomenally excited to announce the launch of our Academy. After months of field research, planning and program development, assessment and evaluation, and an intense hiring process, we have welcomed new staff members and our first class of students into our humble school.

Since the first day of class, we have been ardently responding to participants’ needs and revising lessons plans as developments arise. Our staff’s training and expertise—in teaching, social work, education policy, psychology, and sensitivity to students of all backgrounds—has equipped them to thoughtfully engage with the students and effectively address their individual needs. We’re currently very busy creating tailored lesson plans to fit the specific educational gaps of each individual student. We have also developed monitoring and evaluating tools to track the efficacy of our learning program so we can continue to make any necessary adaptations.

At iSaahasi, we aspire to provide educational resources for women in Mumbai to pursue their academic goals and gain access to new opportunities. We hope that these women—motivated to return to school in hopes of obtaining more diverse job opportunities, greater salaries, and socioeconomic mobility—will continue with their education even after completing the program with us. We hope to ignite a passion for learning, a desire to satiate intellectual curiosities, a hunger for creativity and debate, and sustainable critical thinking skills to carry with them throughout their lives.