Launched: 2003
Focus: Nurture young children from underprivileged backgrounds during their most significant years of growth.
SMILE runs the only Montessori school for underprivileged in South Mumbai. Most children from such backgrounds do not have the benefits of pre-school education and training. This is a big handicap later, because children between age 0-6 are in their formative years when their learning powers are very high.
The Montessori uses classic principles to impart knowledge at this age. Run by a trained teacher, it focuses on imparting knowledge through activities of practical life, using sensorial methods to impart basic skills in language and mathematics. The children gain knowledge through real experiences and develop life skills in their own natural environment and through practical, rather than theoretical knowledge.
