AVEF:

AVEF was founded in 1985 and has done pioneering work in education inspired by its unique teaching approach, the KPM Approach to Children. AVEF owns, operates and supports the model school for the KPM Approach to Children, Sri Atmananda Memorial School, India, which was rated by the Week Magazine as one of the top ten innovative schools in India. In 2007, the school was reated one of the top 3 schools in South India by Vishukani Magazine (published by Malayala Manorama). The school also received the ‘KANFED 2000 Award for Best High School for Innovation.’

The AVEF Vision for Education

AVEF’s broad and inclusive vision for education, inspired by the KPM Approach to Children, is as follows:              

1.      An education that nurtures the development of the individual.

2.      An education that benefits the world.

3.      An education that recognizes that everybody is a stakeholder.

The AVEF Mission: Educational Transformation

Mahatma Gandhi said, “If we are to reach real peace in this world… we shall have to begin with the children.” AVEF’s mission is to transform and effectuate deep change in education through:

The KPM Approach to Children: The Inspiration

AVEF believes that to truly serve as a resource for educational transformation, direct, first-hand and cutting edge expertise in education is necessary. For this reason, AVEF runs a school, Sri Atmananda Memorial School, where it implements the KPM Approach to Children, an approach to children that:

Some of the qualities that develop in children when they are educated in the KPM Approach to Children are:

AVEF now has over 18 years of experience of successfully applying the KPM Approach to Children at Sri Atmananda Memorial School in Kerala. (See under ‘KPM Model School’ on the www.kpmapproach.org website) The then Chairman of the United Kingdom Committee of UNICEF described the school as “the best I have seen in all my career”.

AVEF Training Department

AVEF’s Training Department has a faculty of skilled and experienced trainers, and offers training programmes in the KPM Approach to Children and Child-Focused teaching.

·        KPM Approach to Children Training

In Kerala, India, AVEF receives visitors and teachers from around the world, and offers two training programmes related to the KPM Approach to Children:

o   Child’s World: A programme, with start up funding provided by Sri Ratan Tata Trust, of personal and professional enrichment for teachers, parents, individuals and organizations that wish to learn more about the KPM Approach to Children.

o   KPM Teacher Training Programme: A programme that offers a comprehensive training in the KPM Approach to Children.

Teachers from all over the world, including United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, U.S.A, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Bahrain and Madagascar come to Kerala to train.  The AVEF training department has over 18 years of experience in training teachers in the KPM Approach to Children. 

·        Child-Focused Teaching Training

The teaching methodologies and programmes inspired by the KPM Approach to Children find the common ground with stakeholders in education. AVEF recognizes that not all schools and teachers will want to or be able to apply the KPM Approach to Children. For this reason, AVEF’s child-focused teaching programmes enable teachers in all schools and settings to apply child-focused teaching in their own classrooms. Examples of child-focused teaching modules typically covered include:

·        Children’s personal, social, cognitive and academic needs

·        The importance of the child’s feelings in the learning process

·        Children’s physical and physiological development

·        How to talk to children

·        The effect of humiliation on a child’s personal, social and academic development

·        Positive approaches to unwanted behaviour

·        Development of self-discipline in a child-focused environment

·        Child-focused approaches to motivating children

·        Classroom management strategies

·        Activity-based learning in the classroom

AVEF reaches a wide community, including Teachers, Parents, Policy-Makers and organisations with a view to helping children of all backgrounds develop into happy and confident adults equipped to meet the challenges of life.

AVEF conducts child-focused teaching workshops for schools all over India. Examples include:

·        Trivandrum International School, Trivadrum

·        Santa Maria Public School, Ranny

·        All ICSE Schools in Kerala at the request of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations

·        The University Grants Commission Academic Staff College, University of Kerala, Trivandrum

·        Aseema School for street children in Mumbai

·        S. N. Kansagra School for Girls, Raikot, Gujarat

The AVEF Training Department develops cooperative relationships with a wide spectrum of parties. Examples include:

·        The State Institute of Education in Kerala videotaped at the school and circulated the video as a teacher training tool in the Minimum Levels of Learning programme

·        European Union recognition of AVEF as a training centre and resource in pedagogy for the District Primary Education Programme

AVEF International Perspective: KPM Network

AVEF has, through independent arrangements, authorised two institutions overseas, namely KPM Institute, USA and KPM Education, France, to use and disseminate the KPM Approach to Children, and promote educational transformation and child-focused teaching.

AVEF has also authorized a second Sri Atmananda Memorial School which was established by KPM Institute in Austin, Texas, USA. AVEF trains the teachers of the Austin School at its Training Department in Kerala.

AVEF: Publications  

AVEF’s publications include:

·        Vital Impressions: The KPM Approach to Children (by Professor Gary Borich, 2004)

·        The Child’s World: The KPM Approach to Children (2004)

·        A series of books based on the school’s teaching materials published by Orient Longman Ltd.:

o   Let’s Colour Our World (1992)

o   UP and About: 20 Activities for Primary School (1994)

o   Educational Board Games (1997)

Conferences and Seminars

AVEF has presented Papers on Experiential Learning, Meaningful Education, Child-focused Teaching and the KPM Approach to Children (see under ‘Articles and Speeches’ on www.kpmapproach.org website) at various National and International forums including:

·        International Forum on Education Reforms (Asia-Pacific Region, Hong-Kong)

·        State of the World Forum, San Francisco, USA

·        Institute of Management, Development and Research

·        International Democratic Education Conference

AVEF has received encouraging feedback and recognition. Third parties in countries around the world have also presented the ‘KPM Approach to Children’ at various forums. For example, in China, Professor Gary Borich of the University of Texas, has delivered many lectures on the Approach.

return to top