Leading the transformation

The Integrated Preschool Teachers Training Academy empowers women through innovative early childhood education programmes-transforming homemakers into educators and community leaders, and impacting thousands of lives across India

- ANIL SWARUP

The 3rd Annual Nexus of Good Awards were given away on December 15 at a glittering function at PHD House, New Delhi, by Padma Shri Prakash Singh, a celebrated former Indian Police Service officer. One of the awardees was Sonal Ravi Andrews, the founder of Integrated Pre-school Teachers Training Academy (IPTTA).

In 2013, the Integrated Pre-school Teachers Training Academy (IPTTA) was born out of a dream that combines two powerful ideas: to change the landscape of early childhood care and education and to work for women's empowerment. What started as a training institution in Hyderabad has now grown into a campaign that has impacted more than 1,80,000 stakeholders across 80 Indian cities and six countries. The journey of IPTTA's alumni has indeed been a journey of transformation: more than homemakers, they have become educators; job seekers are now running their own businesses, and passive bystanders are today's active community leaders.

Today, alums of IPTTA run programmes at leading schools, own educational centres and have made a name for themselves within the academic community. Some of them have gone overseas, taking their training from IPTTA to teach in international schools, whereas some have developed new teaching methods in rural parts of India. These achievements are demonstrated by several early years centres they supervise, where thousands of their students receive quality early childhood education daily.

Their most striking assets of change are their individual development. Alums of IPTTA report worth household incomes that have reportedly doubled, active participation and decision-making duties at home, and increased networking confidence. Training has radically changed how they parent as research-based developmental practices are adopted in the children. These women, in turn, have also emerged as community change makers by encouraging the pursuit of education and professional careers in early childhood development.