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Agastya Research aims to influence practice and policy while making learning more engaging, relevant, and accessible for all. Agastya Research What is it? The Agastya Research Institute serves as the knowledge and evidence backbone of Agastya’s mission to spark curiosity and transform learning. Rooted in field-based insights and experiential education, the institute conducts rigorous research to understand how children learn, what drives curiosity, and how innovative science education models can create meaningful impact at scale. By combining data, behavioural insights, and on-ground experimentation, the institute aims to strengthen Agastya’s programs (Discovery), challenge conventional approaches to education (Disruption), and share actionable knowledge with the wider ecosystem (Dissemination). Through collaborations with academic partners, educators, and global research teams, it aspires to influence practice and policy while making learning more engaging, relevant, and accessible for all. Vision To be the global benchmark for research that advances learning and societal progress through curiosity and discovery. Mission Discover : Generate scientific evidence and insights to strengthen and continuously improve Agastya’s programs and impact. Disrupt : Challenge and redefine conventional learning paradigms by developing and validating curiosity-led, experiential education models. Disseminate : Share research, evidence, and stories widely to influence policy, practice, and public understanding of how children learn best. The Team Global Research Directors Hari Sridhar (Texas A&M, Agastya) Adithya Pattabhiramaiah (Georgia Tech) Agastya Research Institute Leadership Hamsa Latha (AGM, R&D) Sujal Raychura (Data Analyst) Global Research Affiliates Yulin Chen (Georgia Tech) Huanhuan Shi (Texas A&M) Hyejeong Kim (Georgia Tech) Muzeeb Shaik (Indiana University) John Costello (University of Notre Dame) Research Publications Working Papers / Ongoing Research The Science Of Belonging: How Agastya's Mobile Science Labs Are Rewriting-Who Science Is For This executive summary is based on the working paper Experiential Learning and Gender-Stereotype Attitudes in Science Education: Evidence from a Field Intervention by Muzeeb Shaik (Indiana University), Huanhuan Shi (Texas A&M University), Adithya Pattabhiramaiah (Georgia Tech), and Shrihari Sridhar (Texas A&M University). The full paper is available upon request. For inquiries about this research, please contact Shrihari Sridhar at ssridhar@mays.tamu.edu Read More Short Research Briefs Examining the Impact of Activity-Based Learning on Students' Affective Outcomes Evidence from Agastya International Foundation In thousands of government school classrooms across India, children learn by listening. They sit, they copy, they memorize. For students from low-income rural families, where a textbook may be the only book in the house, this is often all that school has ever offered. Agastya International Foundation believes that is not enough. For over two decades, Agastya has brought science to life for underserved children through hands-on experimentation, peer discovery, and the simple but radical act of letting a child build something and figure out why it works. This study examined what that experience does to a student on the inside. Researchers followed 195 Grade 9 students from government schools in Andhra Pradesh through Agastya's campus programs and measured six outcomes: interest, engagement, understanding, confidence, concentration, and cognitive ease. The findings show that activity-based learning meaningfully improves how students experience learning, and does so equitably, regardless of gender, family background, or prior academic performance. The research also offers a clear design principle: variety and quality of sessions matter more than frequency. Agastya's model works. Sustaining that impact requires continued investment in how instructors are trained and how programs are designed. Read More Effect of Agastya International Foundation's Bio-Diverse Environment on Physiological, Psychological, Cognitive and Social Attributes of Students For students from rural government schools, the natural world rarely enters the classroom. A tree is a diagram. An ecosystem is something to memorise. Agastya International Foundation’s 172-acre Creativity Campus in Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, exists to change that — a living, breathing learning environment of medicinal herb gardens, open-air ecology labs, and forests teeming with rare birds and insects, visited by over 500 students every day. This study asked what that experience actually does to a child — not what they know after, but what they feel, how they think, and how they connect with others. Surveying 190 students across four schools and three states, researchers found that Agastya’s bio-diverse campus significantly improved physiological well being, emotional state, cognitive functioning, and social behaviour. Students felt less stressed, more curious, more cooperative, and more motivated to protect the environment. Read More Effectiveness of Online Teacher Training During COVID-19 - Impact of the Online – Make Your Own Lab (O-MYOL) Program During the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person training became impossible, Agastya made a bold decision: rather than suspend its teacher training, it took the entire program online. The result was O-MYOL — a fully virtual, activity-based training program delivered over four days, using Zoom, experiment kits sent in advance, and step-by-step live instruction. Critics might have expected online delivery to dilute a program built around physical experimentation. The data says otherwise. Read More Assessing the Impact of Voluntary Efforts of Non-Governmental Organisations on Educational Outcomes: A Case of Agastya International Foundation's Interventions The findings are unambiguous. In districts where Agastya has worked — particularly where it has worked deeply, reaching 20% or more of local schools — enrollment has risen significantly and dropout rates have fallen sharply. In one telling comparison, districts with at least 10% Agastya school coverage saw dropout rates fall from 34% to 8%. In comparable districts with no Agastya presence, dropout rates rose from 24% to 34%. Children are staying in school where Agastya has been. They are leaving where it hasn’t. Across every level of analysis — the district, the classroom, the child — the study finds the same pattern: Agastya’s work improves outcomes. And the more concentrated and sustained that work is, the larger the effect. This is not a finding about a charity doing its best. It is a finding about a model that works, documented by independent researchers over more than a decade of evidence. Read More Promoting Leadership Skills among Children in Government Schools They sit at the back. They copy what is on the blackboard. They pass their exams or they don’t. And for most of them, no one ever stands at the front of a classroom and says: your turn. Teach us. That is exactly what Agastya International Foundation’s Young Instructor Leader (YIL) program does. Launched in 2007 at Agastya’s Kuppam campus, YIL identifies children from government schools — mostly from low-income, first-generation learner families — and trains them to become something most of them have never imagined being: teachers. Peer educators. Leaders. Over a three-year program spanning Grades 5 to 7, YIL students learn to ask questions, design science experiments, present ideas to groups, resolve conflict within teams, and ultimately stand in front of their classmates and explain what they know. Read More Data & Insights Hub Daily Session Assessment Analysis - 2023-24 This report presents insights from Agastya’s Daily Session Assessments. It demonstrates score improvements and changes in the number of attempts across variables such as state, gender, subject/topic, and individual questions. It also includes a framework to evaluate question effectiveness by comparing students’ pre-session and post-session performance. Read More

The Acharya Initiative Teacher Transformation Program is an innovative effort aimed at enhancing teachers' skills nationwide through Constructivist pedagogy. Acharya Initiative Teacher Transformation Program EMPOWERING TEACHERS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE The Acharya Initiative Teacher Transformation Program is a transformative effort aimed at enhancing teachers' skills nationwide through constructivist pedagogy. This intensive training equips government school teachers with the tools to deliver hands-on education to students, providing grade-relevant materials and honing their ability to create cost-effective models. They then return this newfound knowledge to their classrooms, fostering a transformative approach to education. What is it? 3636 Teachers trained 300,000+ Children impacted 100,000+ Training hours A peek into Acharya Initiative Get Involved Join us and be a part of the curiosity movement TESTIMONIALS Ambassadors of Agastya's mission Through this workshop, I came to know that every child has their own knowledge, as a teacher we have to provide a chance for them to think and get their own idea. Omprakash V Mungankar I have got clarity about the concepts, and i got an idea of how I need to make use of materials in my class. Prabhugowda.K. E The constructivism workshop's approach to simplifying and clarifying basic concepts in science and mathematics through hands-on activities and simple model-making is truly praiseworthy. Jyotsana T Honawarkar

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Agastya is led by a dedicated team of educators, scientists, industry leaders and experts from all walks of life. Know more about our trustees, executive team and people who make Agastya. OUR PEOPLE Changemakers at Agastya Agastya takes great pride in the vision of its team which catalyzes the transformation of learning in India. Leading Agastya BOARD OF TRUSTEES VK Aatre Rekha Jhunjhunwala F Mahavir Kumar Alok Oberoi Rama Prasad "Ramji" Raghavan Prabhakara Rao Adhirath Sethi Vidya Shah Utpal Sheth HN Srihari See More Sastry Adiraju Chief Technology Officer Balaram Program Leadership (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) Malini Desai Program Leadership (Internal Training) Shrishail Dhanawade Program Leadership Venkatesh DW Finance and Accounts Rakhi Advani Gautham Partner Relations and Fundraising Dilip Kumar Gowda Program Leadership (Karnataka) Hamsalatha Impact Assessment Ramesh Hitnalli Program Leadership (Maharashtra) Sheetal Kataria Program Leadership Mukesh Kumar Program Leadership (North India) Mukesh Kushwaha Program Leadership (North India) Manjunath Program Leadership (Karnataka) Kumar Padmanabhan Program Leadership Aarthy Parthasarathy Program Leadership Geeta Patil Program Leadership (Core Science Activity Centers) Syed Mohammed Peershavali Academics Babitha R Program Leadership (North Karnataka) Rajendra S Rane Program Leadership CK Rao Partner Relations and Fundraising Parag Sawant Program Leadership (Maharashtra) Subramanya Shastry (Subbu) Program Leadership Ravidranath Sharma Academics Selva Shekar Program Leadership Ramesh Kumar Singh Program Leadership (North India - Bodoland Territorial Region) Shekhar Subbanna Partner Relations and Fundraising Topaz Program Leadership (Tamil Nadu) Suresh TS Campus Creativity Lab Vikash Tiwari Program Leadership (North India) Laxmi Narayan Program Leadership Supply Chain Management Naveen Kumar VM Program Leadership (North Karnataka) LEADERSHIP TEAM Rama Prasad (Ramji) Raghavan Founder and Chairperson Mahavir Kumar Co-Founder and Managing Trustee K Thiagarajan Executive Vice-Chairman Sai Chandrasekhar Executive Director Operations Hariharan Ganesan Executive Director Partner Relations Ajith Basu Chief Consultant Narayan Chakravarthula Senior Advisor

Our STEM Centres act as lighthouses for curious learners who are eager to navigate the vast sea of learning. Nestled in urban and semi-urban areas, these hubs, with their dedicated instructors, host children from schools in the surrounding areas and introduce them to all things math, science and fun. STEM CENTERS HUBS FOR EXPERENTIAL LEARNING Our STEM Centers act as lighthouses for curious learners who are eager to navigate the vast sea of learning. Nestled in urban and semi-urban areas, these hubs, with their dedicated instructors, host children from schools in the surrounding areas and introduce them to all things math, science and fun. What is it? 152 STEM Centers 230,000+ Children impacted 3,632,000+ Session hrs Science Centers Core Science Activity Centers Digital Literacy Centers Our science centers are hubs of innovation and interactive science learning. Ignators enhance school syllabuses using science models and inspire children to create low-cost experiments for deeper understanding. Beyond students and teachers, our centers draw diverse visitors year-round, all experiencing the joy of education. Science Centers In North Karnataka (Hubli, Bagalkot, Shivamogga, Vijaypura, and Bidar), our Core Science Activity Centers go beyond typical science centers with their curriculum and learning. Here children can explore jumbo-sized science models and dedicated labs for every subject. Core Science Activity Centers Our Digital Literacy Centers, strategically located across India, serve as gateways to the digital world for thousands of students. These centers offer a curriculum rich in programming, digital creativity, and problem-solving, utilizing platforms like Scratch to introduce students to the basics of coding and computational thinking. The hands-on, interactive approach ensures students not only learn but also apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios, building confidence and digital fluency. Digital Literacy Centers A peek into STEM centers TESTIMONIALS Ambassadors of Agastya's mission Over typical school classes, I much prefer Agastya practical classes. Garv Bhardwaj Agastya sessions give us hands-on experience that I would not get in regular classes. In Agastya, I learn through practicals, which makes learning simpler”. Vivek Sinha I like working in groups and play with magnets and circuits. Nagaraju N

Innovation-on-Bike is a brings design-thinking to middle and high school children, nurturing problem-solving skills, empathy, and creativity through hands-on activities and workshops. Innovation-on-Bike RIDE THE WAVE OF INNOVATION Innovation-on-Bike brings design thinking to middle and high school children, nurturing problem-solving skills, empathy, and creativity through hands-on activities and workshops. Agastya's ignators take the bike, equipped as a mobile maker space, to schools and transform them into dynamic hubs of learning, empowering students to develop innovative, user-centric solutions and preparing them for future challenges. What is it? 17 Innovation-on-Bikes 9,600+ Children impacted 4 States reached A peek into Innovation-on-a-Bike Get Involved Join us and be a part of the curiosity movement TESTIMONIALS Ambassadors of Agastya's mission This is your Testimonial section paragraph. It’s a great place to tell users how much you value your customers and their feedback. Robert Rose This is your Testimonial section paragraph. It’s a great place to tell users how much you value your customers and their feedback. Alex Smith This is your Testimonial section paragraph. It’s a great place to tell users how much you value your customers and their feedback. Drew Carlyle

Browse Agastya's annual reports, impact stories, and other noteworthy publications. Our Publications Annual Reports and Financials 2024 - 2025 2023 - 2024 2022 - 2023 2021 - 2022 2020 - 2021 Other Publications

The Agastya movement is supported by corporations, scientists, academicians, educators, governments and incredible individuals like you. Join us and transform learning with us. GET INVOLVED Engage, Empower, Elevate Be a part of our journey! Be a Catalyst for Change, discover your role in creating impact! Explore ways to join our journey of empowerment through education and innovation. Donate Be a changemaker CSR Partnership Build India's future with us Volunteering Reshape young minds Careers Create meaningful impact Volunteering with Agastya is more than just lending a hand—it's about shaping futures. Our volunteer programs offer a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact in education, empowering underserved communities and nurturing young minds. Experience the joy of giving back, expand your horizons, and connect with like-minded individuals passionate about making a difference. Through Agastya's volunteering initiatives, you can be a catalyst for positive change, leaving a lasting legacy of empowerment and inspiration in communities across India. Volunteer with us Volunteer With Us At Agastya, we believe that experiential learning is the key to building an India of innovators, creators and solution-seekers. By partnering with us, you can help to make a significant impact on the future of our nation. Join us today and be a part of the change! CSR partnerships Partner With Us For Other Queries Contact Us Name Email* Message* Submit Looking to make a real difference in education and society? Join Agastya International Foundation and embark on an inspiring career. Our innovative learning approach empowers underserved communities, nurturing creativity and critical thinking. We are looking for passionate individuals to join us in driving meaningful change and inspiring growth and learning. Come be a part of our dynamic team and help transform lives! Careers See Our Careers Reach out to us Head office Agastya International Foundation 101, Varsav Plaza, 12, Jaymahal Main Road, Bangalore - 560046, INDIA Campus Address Agastya Foundation Campus Road, Gudivanka, Avulathimmanapalle, Andhra Pradesh-517425 Email Us Call Us

Together, we can reimagine the future of learning. Each contribution, no matter the size, fuels our mission to reimagine education in India, making it more accessible, engaging, and impactful. Your contributions will be tax-exempt under section 80G of Income Tax Act of India. Together, we can reimagine the future of learning Donate in Dollars Donate in INR Your donations will be tax-exempt under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act of India. Frequency One time One time Monthly Monthly Yearly Yearly Amount ₹250 ₹250 ₹500 ₹500 ₹2,000 ₹2,000 ₹10,000 ₹10,000 Other Other 0/100 Comment (optional) Donate ₹250 Make learning Fun! Experiential! Accessible! Agastya is on a mission to transform India's learning landscape. We need allies in this journey. Every donation to Agastya plays a pivotal role in transforming lives and shaping the future. Each contribution, no matter the size, fuels our mission to reimagine education in India, making it more accessible, engaging, and impactful. Agastya ensures that every donation directly reaches children through our comprehensive network of programs and initiatives. From mobile science labs that travel to remote villages to digital learning platforms accessible across regions, we employ diverse strategies to ensure that educational resources and opportunities reach children wherever they are. Your support enables us to bridge gaps and empower children with the tools they need to thrive. You can also contribute in other ways : Donate by cheque/D.D in favor of “Agastya International Foundation ” and send it to us through courier/post along with your contact details. I.e. your name, address, telephone number/e-mail ID and PAN number. To Agastya International Foundation, 12, Varsav Plaza, Jayamahal Main Road, Bangalore 560 046. Donate by wire transfer through RTGS / NEFT/ IMPS Bank: ICICI BANK Account Name: Agastya International Foundation Account Number: 000 2010 60632, IFSC Code: ICIC0000002

MediaArts Lab gives children an opportunity to explore and harness their creativity through various forms of media arts, including filmmaking, photography, animation, and digital storytelling. MediaArts Lab BRINGING MEDIA LITERACY TO EVERY CHILD Nestled in the tallest building at Agastya’s 172-acre Campus Creativity Lab, the MediaArts Lab gives children from schools in the surrounding areas an opportunity to explore and harness their creativity through various forms of media arts, including filmmaking, photography, animation, and digital storytelling. Through hands-on sessions on storytelling, cinematography, editing, and other elements of media production, Agastya’s instructors at the lab nurture their creative abilities, enable them to express themselves, share their unique stories, and make their voices heard. What is it? 3 States 1200+ Children impacted 100+ Creative projects A peek into MediaArts Lab Get Involved Join us and be a part of the curiosity movement HAPPY BENEFICIARIES Ambassadors of Agastya's mission My favorite activity in the lab is flipbook because I learned about motion through that. I can make any new signboard. I learn about photo essays in the lab. I can make a photo essay about my village K.Yoshchandra We made crazy faces to represent our characters. Being confident in presenting my thoughts in front of others is the most inspiring skill which I’ve learned in the lab. Lavanya My favorite activity at the lab was poster drawing. Because I am very interested in drawing and this opportunity allowed me to improve my talent. I have learned speaking skills and capturing photos and shots in camera. Meena

By partnering with us, you can help to make a significant impact on the future of our nation. Support us today and be a part of the change! Contact Us Join us and be a part of the curiosity movement CSR PARTNERSHIPS GET INVOLVED At Agastya, we believe that experiential learning is the key to building an India of innovators, creators and solution-seekers. By partnering with us, you can help to make a significant impact on the future of our nation. Join us today and be a part of the change! CSR Partnerships Corporates and Foundations Governments Institutions Philanthropists See More Hayagreeva Rao (Huggy) Srinivasan Venkatraman Natarajan Krishnamoorthy Narayan Ramachandran MA Mubeenuddin Umesh Parikh Venky Krishna Kumar Sri Jaganathan Raju Reddy Ravi Reddy Sandeep Tungare Ashok Zaveri Raj Parekh Ramji Raghavan Alok Oberoi K Thyagarajan Leena Jhaveri Yashok Zaveri Our Partners Partner with us Name* Email* Phone* Organisation / Company* Message* How did you hear about us? Social Media Web search Word of mouth Advertisement Other Submit

Located at the intersection of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, the 172-acre Creativity Campus at Kuppam is Agastya’s base for educational initiatives. It is the seat of innovation, where many of Agastya’s pathbreaking initiatives are conceptualized and tested before being rolled out in the field. OUR CAMPUS Campus Creativity Lab About our Campus Located at the intersection of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, the 172-acre Creativity Campus at Kuppam is Agastya’s base for educational initiatives. It is the seat of innovation, where many of Agastya’s pathbreaking initiatives are conceptualized and tested before being rolled out in the field. The Campus houses exclusive spaces dedicated to studying subjects ranging from biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics to astronomy, ecology, art, and media. Thousands of students and teachers experience hands-on learning each year and draw inspiration from the impressive display of exhibits, models, and experiments. 20+ Labs 700+ Children everyday 172 acre Ecological preserve Campus Virtual Tour Learning at the Campus Know More Chemagicaa Know More Bio-Discovery Centers Know More Ecology Know More MediaArts Lab Know More Raspberry Pi Lab Know More Robotics Lab Know More Innovation Hub Know More Art Studio Know More GuruGruha Astronomy Center Know More Ramanujan Math Park Know More Jhunjhunwala Discovery Center Know More Physics Lab Know More Library Know More Performing Arts Center Know More VisionWorks Know More Maritime Center Ecology Initiatives When the land was first acquired, the Campus was arid, fit for few plants and animals. Much of the existing plant cover had been stripped away, leaving a wasteland that endured years of use and abuse. With expert guidance from renowned environmentalist, Dr. Yellapa Reddy, the Agastya team began the painstaking work of environmental restoration. Water conservation was a top priority, so measures were taken to improve drainage and maximize the water available to plant life on the Campus. Native species from the surrounding area were transplanted to the Campus, and began to flourish. The greening of the land was followed by a vibrant resurgence of animal life - a sign of nature on the rebound. The Campus is now teeming with flora and fauna, even prompting sightings of rare species of birds and insects. For visiting students, science starts here, whether with an eco-walk led by an Agastya naturalist, or a casual stroll on one’s own. Read More Flora and Fauna Sustainable Practices Conceptual Gardens Ecological Outreach The campus generates renewable sources of energy that meet a part of its requirements. The different renewable power systems on campus include solar energy, wind energy, biogas and bio-energy. Waste management initiatives undertaken at the Kuppam Campus include both solid and liquid waste. Sustainable Practices Plantation efforts at the Campus were initiated to include the development of seventeen thematic medicinal herb parks based on traditional knowledge systems, including Ayurveda and Siddha . The conceptual gardens exploit the 'natural pharmaceutical factory' potential of the Eastern Ghats region. Dr. Yellappa Reddy designed these gardens with a larger aim of re-transferring knowledge on fast-disappearing traditional herb-based healing methods to the neighboring communities and the public at large. Conceptual Gardens The protection, afforestation and rejuvenation program and the resulting rich vegetation led to a surge in several important butterfly, bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile species, transforming the campus into a bio-diversity rich region. The Campus shelters about 600 species of plants, a majority of them being native species. There are 152 species of birds, of which 20% are migratory and arrive every winter. 103 species of butterflies including rare and unique species are present. 16 species of amphibians and 21 species of reptiles including Geckoella Kollegalensis, Barred Wolf Snake, Golden Gecko, among others have been reported for the first time in the Eastern Ghats owing to the richness of their habitat on campus. 55 species of rare spiders were spotted. Flora and Fauna An eighteen-member ecology team maintains the 172-acre Agastya campus at Kuppam, and works the eco-community program to distribute saplings to neighbouring villages. Started in 2008, the eco-community program is the key mode of environmental community outreach by Agastya. Residents of villages in and around Kuppam receive the saplings grown in Agastya's nursery for free, as part of the Agastya ecology outreach program. Saplings distributed under the eco-community program include medicinal plants such as Lemongrass, Adothodavasa, Brahmi, Vitex nigundo and Indian Borage and fruit trees such as Jamun, Guava, Gooseberry, Jackfruit, Ram Phal (Anona reticulata) and the common Rhoe that is a snake repellant. Ecological Outreach Architecture at Campus Designed by Sharukh Mistry Associates, proponents of holistic architecture, the campus architecture includes unique and innovative structures that stand out and inspire creativity. For example, the Performing Arts Center takes the shape of a dung beetle, the natural inhabitants of the land. There is an emphasis on sustainability, incorporating eco-friendly materials and construction methods. Some buildings in the Campus have been recipients of prestigious architecture awards, including the JK Architect of the Year Award. Camps@Campus Camps are organised for students from schools and colleges all over India, giving them an opportunity to experience the Agastya way of learning. The campus provides a creative environment for children conducive to developing and increasing their appreciation and understanding for community, science and the natural environment. The camps contain fun-filled activities that spark curiosity, ecology tours, hands-on art and model-making and exposure to folk music, dance and theatre. A visit to Agastya can provide new experiences that bolster self-confidence and build understanding between India’s urban and rural communities by first bringing the children together, thereby dispelling their prejudices, presumptions, and misconceptions of one another. Visit our Campus Full name* Institution/ Organization* Email* Phone* How did you hear about us?* Message Submit Join the Agastya movement Get Involved