Bharathi A

The Foundation Project implemented by IFA will engage 35 students of Government Lower Primary School, Sannakere, in Koppa taluk, Chikkamagaluru district. Titled Jenu Naanu (Honey and Me), this 15 month initiative aims to deepen children's understanding of pollination, ecological balance, and the food chain, while nurturing environmental consciousness. By integrating science, environmental studies, and language learning, the project creates a dynamic and interdisciplinary classroom experience. Bharathi A is the Project Coordinator for this foundation project. 

Bharathi A serves as an acting Head Mistress, with 23 years of experience in the field of education. She previously led a literature-based, art-integrated activity which culminated in a published anthology of children's writings titled Tochiddu Geechiddu. Her areas of interest include literature, programme anchoring, and quiz facilitation. Bharati has also contributed significantly beyond the classroom as a State Resource Person for the Department of Education, a member of the textbook development team, and a State Resource Person for the Karnataka Bala Vikas Academy. Her literary contributions are notable, with over 150 columns published in leading Kannada newspapers such as Vijayavani, Vijaya Karnataka, Prajavani, and Vishwavani. Given her experience, she is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA. 

The Government Lower Primary School at Sannakere, provides a vibrant learning environment for children from grades first to fifth. Most of the students come from agricultural and laborer families with limited academic exposure, which poses challenges in their educational progress. Due to minimal parental follow-up and support at home, many children struggle with foundational skills such as listening, writing, and grasping the curriculum. Despite these hurdles, the school fosters active learning through creative initiatives, with strong support from peer teacher Ashalatha. They play a key role in implementing innovative, child-friendly activities that enhance classroom engagement and experiential learning.

To support the learning needs of young children, this project adopts a simple, arts-integrated approach that aligns with their developmental abilities. It begins with an animated film festival featuring titles such as Bee Movie, The Amazing Life of Bees, Maya the Bee, The Prince, The Princess and The Bee, and The Pollinators. These films introduce ecological themes in an engaging format. After each screening, children participate in guided reflection sessions to explore ideas related to bee ecology and environmental awareness.

Building on this foundation, a visual arts activity will involve painting a large honeycomb mural on the school’s outer wall. Each hexagonal cell will hold student-generated content observations, drawings, and written reflections about bees making the mural a living, participatory learning space. Storytellers and artists will be invited as resource persons to help students develop narratives and visual expressions. Bharati will further engage students in short skits where they embody bee characters, using movement and sound to dramatise their learnings.

The project deepens its interdisciplinary scope by integrating bee-related stories into mathematics through word problems involving basic operations. Approximately 100 questions will be developed to combine concepts from language, geography, environmental studies, and math. Students will also write songs, illustrate ecological scenes, and collect local folktales and nursery rhymes about bees. These activities will be supported by folk singers, storytellers, and visual artists through workshops and demonstrations, blending community knowledge with classroom learning.

To extend experiential learning, students will observe honeycomb structures to understand cooperative living and visit local farmers and beekeepers to learn about bee ecology and honey extraction. They will document these experiences through writing and drawing. A field visit to the LAMP Cooperative Society’s honey processing center will introduce them to modern techniques of honey production, packaging, and distribution, emphasising honey as an economic resource. Additionally, students will learn from local healers and elders about the medicinal uses of honey and express this knowledge through poems, stories, and essays. Through these interconnected activities, the project fosters inquiry, creativity, and cultural relevance, grounding education in the students’ immediate world.

These diverse engagements come together in a final publication that showcases the creative writing of students. It serves as a vibrant reflection of their imagination, insights, and expressive growth throughout the journey.

The outcome of this project will be performances, an exhibition and a publication. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be copies of the publication, photographs and the video documentation of the entire project.

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Education programme in the manner in which it attempts to connect students and schools to the cultural knowledge of the local communities they live in. 

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens promptly and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.

This Foundation Project is made possible in partnership with InterGlobe Foundation.