Monkey Sports

Sport keeps children in a good place.

The innovation helps improve the cognitive ability of children who suffer from learning difficulties because of poverty stressors like violence, abuse and neglect. By bringing role models into children's lives and engaging them in social-emotional learning-based sports programs we engage the executive and limbic parts of the brain to improve the learning abilities of children.

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Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Web presence

2018

Established

80

Children

1

Countries

Target group

Students lower

Updated

May 2023

Children better manage their emotions, have fewer cases of violence in school and increase participation in the classroom leading to increase attendance and better academic outcomes so that children break the cycle of poverty. Increase the transition rate (Children completing till grade 10th ) from 62 % to 75% in the state of Chhattisgarh.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

A survey conducted by our initiative in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh in India shows that 70% of marginalised children faced neglect, violence, and abuse at home because of poverty. The stressor affects the motivation and cognitive ability of children to learn causing low academic outcomes in children.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Through this program, we train youth to become role models in children’s lives. After the training, the youth start conducting regular Social Emotional Learning based sports-based sports programs for children to help them deal with stressful situations. Physical activity and social-emotional learning help improve children’s cognitive ability to make better decisions.

The program is conducted weekly twice for a duration of 11 months in the community and school.

Research indicates that the SEL program can also improve children’s academic performance by up to 11 % (CASEL). Research has shown that college youth conducting a program for children has associated positive outcomes. ( Poor Economics, Abhijeet Banerjee)

We have designed a sports-based SEL curriculum to be implemented for children aged between 9-13 years.

We use technology and online workshops to train teachers and youths.

How has it been spreading?

Through our work, we have reached 1200 + children in 13 schools, 70% of children coming from tribal communities. School stakeholders and parents have reported improvement in school attendance, increase participation of children in the classroom and reporting less bullying and violence in school.

In the next 2-3 years, we want to work with 100 + schools in the Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh and sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Chhattisgarh to conduct training for teachers raising awareness about social-emotional learning and context of children coming from poverty.

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

Anyone looking to adopt the program has to go through 3-5 days of training to understand the science of the brain, facilitation skills to work with children, learn how to deliver experiential learning sessions for children, learn different social-emotional skills, and learn how to engage with the community.

They can contact info@monkeysports.in to enquire about our program.

Implementation steps

Mobilizing community youth

Facilitators come from the same community where the children come from. It helps create a high level of trust in the community and children. Youth are mobilized through workshops and seminars conducted in colleges and online sessions.

Training of Youth

At the beginning of the program, community youth go through 3-5 days of training on different topics such as understanding the values of the organization., facilitation skills, listening and empathy skills.

Mobilizing Children Rapport Building

The youth conducts sessions for children in the local primary and middle school to mobilize the children. The youth also talk to the teachers of the school to find out about children who could benefit more from the program. The youth talks to children who would be interested in being part of the regular sessions.

Data Collection (Baseline)

The youth and another member of the team collect data on children by taking them to teachers, parents and children themselves. Data points are name, age, school, attendance, learning outcomes, education awareness and survey on social-emotional skills questions

Parent Engagement

The community youth conducts games for parents and children to increase engagement between them. Through activities, parents learn about the importance of engaging in play and spending time with children.

Regular Sports Session

The community youth regularly conduct weekly activities for children on different themes such as problem-solving, gender, education, communication and managing emotions.

Monthly Training

The community youth goes through monthly training each month on new games and themes.

Weekly Update

A weekly update is taken to understand the challenges and learnings from the community and games.

Weekly Monitoring Session

The monitoring evaluation officer visit the field to monitor the sessions on different parameters such as safeguarding of children, inclusion, facilitation skills and messages from the sessions.

Data Collection (Endline)

At the end of the program, data and case studies are conducted to measure the impact of work.