Bright Horizon: Building Skills for Life
“Let’s do something that is really meaningful and would make a difference to the society, now that we have this opportunity.” This was Aiman with a great deal of earnestness. She, with her classmates Sharon and Kriti in the Social Entrepreneurship Post-graduate Diploma Program at a prominent management institute in Mumbai in 2010 were discussing different ideas and how they would execute the mandatory group project for their Post-graduate Diploma.
After long deliberations, they undertook a small survey among the principals and a few parents of the students of municipal schools, to assess the need and potential for life skills training vis-à-vis setting up a mobile library for underprivileged children. Based on the findings of the survey, they decided on their mission – educating underprivileged children in life skills, under the canopy, ‘Bright Horizon’.
The Entrepreneurial Journey
The association between Sharon, Aiman and Kriti had begun when they had met earlier during the year, under the Post-graduate Diploma Program in Social Entrepreneurship, at a prominent management institute in Mumbai. As part of their course-work, they took up a pilot project to help underprivileged children in the age group of 10–13 years in schools managed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC – the body responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of Mumbai) with their education......
The Impact
At first, Bright Horizon catered to students of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades, with the same set of life skills education content. They soon realized that what worked well for 6th and 7th grade students did not work for 4th and 5th grade students. Therefore, they decided to focus on 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th grade students, with more emphasis on basic life skills training through art, stories, and games etc.................
Future Scope
Running a social enterprise had been quite a roller-coaster ride for the founders, who dreamt of making Bright Horizon a one-stop shop for experiential learning for the holistic growth and development of all children. To keep themselves on their toes, the trio would constantly ask, “What are we teaching our children as a society and how much needs to be done to resolve conflicts in their little minds?”..............
Assignment Questions
I. Discuss the issues and challenges faced by a social entrepreneur in setting up an organization.
II. What are the problem(s) in the way of the growth and expansion of an NGO?
III. What are the issues relating to the structuring and running of an NGO?
IV. ..............
Exhibits
Exhibit I: Extracts from Reports on Life Skills Education
Exhibit II: Focus Areas of Life Skills Training
Exhibit III: Funds Received by Bright Horizon (in INR)
Exhibit IV: Organizational Structure at Bright Horizon