DHARAMSHALA: The Department of Education, in collaboration with AvantiFellows (www.avantifellows.org), inaugurated the first ‘Learning Center’ in Tibetan Homes Foundation (THF), Mussoorie on July 19 to kick start its ‘Technology-based After-school Coaching Program’. During the inaugural session, Mr. Akshay Saxena, the Director of AvantiFellows addressed the gathering of science students, teachers and school administrators of CST Mussoorie and TFH Mussoorie Schools about the objectives of the program and its modus operandi.

 24 non-medical students of THF Mussoorie and CST Mussoorie Schools will take part in this year-round science and mathematics education program.

AvantiFellows’ Learning Centers in India have been successfully providing low-income high-school students a world-class science and mathematics education so that they do well in competitive entrance tests and CBSE examination.

Very little conventional lecturing takes place in Avanti’s learning Centers; rather the focus is on teaching students how to learn from books and their peers – resources that are more abundant, accessible and consistent in quality. Over the past year, AvantiFellows have shown that their students could outperform some of the most expensive after-school programs in the country.

Two more learning centers will be started in the upcoming weeks, one in TCV Selakui and another in CST Mundgod. In total, around 90 Tibetan students pursuing science will benefit from this program in academic year 2013-14. The program is funded by USAID.