Tutorial Sessions

Classes run daily from 4:00 pm to 6.00.pm. except Sunday. Sessions are held from December to April, Nand and Chhaya Kulshreshtha personally teach English, Mathematics and Science. Other teachers are also hired.

Thanks to the Sponsorship of the Wildrose Foundation of Alberta, TELUS, and other generous contributors, we started out with two classrooms with tin roofs and now we have a second floor expanding the number of classrooms to 4 in addition to an office for staff.

With the completion of the second floor, we hope to increase the number of students that can take advantage of our programs.

Home Economics

Every Sunday between 10:00 am to 1: 00 pm, the Charity holds home economics classes. Students learn cooking, sewing, embroidery and knitting. Especially in India, these are the essential life skills required in the society for normal living and are equally important as academic ability. Alka Charitable Center offers this voluntary cooking program and students are encouraged to participate in it. In this program students learn basic skills.

At the end of session, students demonstrate their skills and talents in the preparation of their dishes. Outstanding students receive an award of competency. We are proud to say that the strength of classroom is increasing every year and students are taking full benefit of this program.

Computer classes

The center is running computer classes to provide basic concept and knowledge of computer components. Those who have typing skill are learning Word processing. Enrolment is limited because of two reasons.

• 1. To assure that only those students who have ability to understand the subject and,
• 2. To enable the instructor to teach the subject at an appropriate level without pressure.

Field Trips

Each year, the Center offers students the opportunity to go on a field trip. Typically there is a nominal charge and the Founders cover any remaining costs. Many children have not experienced life outside of Haridwar so these trips are usually the highlight of the year.

Dehradun is the largest nearby city. It offers a large zoo in addition to other tourist locations.





Mussorie, a nearby hill station, is also a favorite spot. Given the latitude, snow is not uncommon during the winter. It's nothing like Edmonton but there's enough snow to make snowballs.

Transportation

Most students are within biking distance to the Center. However for those students living far away, the Center owns and operates the automobile shown in the picture.

Since classes often end at sunset, the safety of this transportation helps to reassure parents of their child's well being.

Teachers

Teachers are selected and continually monitored to ensure that students are receiving proper instruction.

There are select students, who graduate high school and end up pursuing university. Some such students have returned to teach at the Center as a part time job. This cycle from exceptional student to teacher helps with continuous improvement in our programs.

Annual Function

The annual function is a three hour program that celebrates the end of session. Various songs, dances and plays make up the entertainment portion of the event. This is also the day when the Alka Charitable Scholarship is awarded to the students.

The students practice daily for over a week to perfect their dance routine. The teachers very often help to train the students for drama and dancing.

Traditionally in India, dance was and is an integral part of most social gathering especially in marriages and at the time of birth. It has been celebrated with pomp and show. As a result, dance and music are still key subjects in most public schools. Alka Charitable Center hosts dance performance every year especially on Republic Day and in March for the Annual Function.