Setting the Foundation for student Growth
Our sTorY
While searching for a name for our organization, we meticulously sorted through names until we came across the perfect one: Ādhāra (Pronounced aadd-har), the Nepali word for “foundation”. This word embodies our organization’s number one goal: to serve as a foundation for student growth for children in Kathmandu Valley.
Ādhāra was founded by siblings Rowan and Ava Gillian as a project to give back to their Nepali heritage. During their numerous trips to Kathmandu, they have witnessed the unequal educational opportunities for Nepali children. Nepal has both private and government-owned school systems similar to the United States. However, Nepali government schools are poorly funded. These schools often lack the resources necessary to equip students with the skills needed for success in the modern world. Ādhāra strives to combat this inequality by offering support in STEM and literacy development for both students and schools in Kathmandu Valley.
About Us
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Kits for Kids
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![A young woman and four schoolgirls in uniforms smiling in a classroom, holding books and notebooks.]()
Literacy Libraries
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![Three boys in blue school uniforms building a small triangular structure with wooden sticks at a table in a classroom.]()
Kits For Kids
Our Projects
The modern era is being defined by new advancements in technology. However, not all students are fortunate enough to receive any form of exposure to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Therefore, we aim to provide underserved students with the ability to explore a STEM education they would otherwise not receive in their ordinary classroom environment. We do this by working closely with Karkhana, an enterprise dedicated to Nepali STEM education, to develop kits for students. Our kits provide a hands-on learning experience that engages students while stretching their critical thinking ability and building the interpersonal skills required for success in the STEM industry. Furthermore, with the help of Karkhana, we train teachers on how to incorporate STEM education in their schools.
At Adhara, we believe that literacy is not only the cornerstone for fluency in other academic subjects but also is a major determining factor for long-term success. For this reason, Adhara is working to help implement libraries in schools throughout Kathmandu Valley through our Literacy Libraries Project. Donations to our Literacy Libraries Project go towards the purchasing and distribution of books and other literary resources. Additionally, we strive to improve the reading culture in these schools by working closely with teachers to create reading clubs, read-alouds, peer-to-peer reading, and more.
Government Schools in Nepal lack adequate means to acquire items that are an integral part of modern education. These resources include the internet, electronics, textbooks, and more. Adhara works to provide schools with the funding necessary to modernize and develop classrooms to further benefit the teachers.