The 13th week of the Sundarban and Kankinara Faculty and Training Programme focused on introducing participants to modern digital tools while reinforcing their English language foundation. The sessions were designed to help participants become more confident users of technology for learning, communication, and professional growth.

The week began with an interactive session on the use of ChatGPT as a learning and support tool. Participants were guided on how to ask effective questions, use the tool for improving English skills, generating ideas, understanding concepts, and assisting with lesson preparation and written tasks. This session encouraged curiosity and independent learning, helping participants realise how technology can support both personal and professional development when used responsibly.

Alongside this, participants were introduced to the practical use of email. The session covered the basics of composing and sending emails, maintaining a proper format, writing clear subject lines, and using polite and professional language. Emphasis was placed on email etiquette, which is an essential skill for academic correspondence and workplace communication. Participants practiced drafting simple emails, helping them gain confidence in written digital communication.

In addition to digital skills, the programme continued with a revision of English grammar concepts taught in earlier weeks. Through practice exercises and guided discussions, participants revisited important grammar rules, sentence construction, and common errors. This revision helped strengthen their understanding and improved accuracy in both spoken and written English.

Overall, the 13th week of the Sundarban Faculty Training Programme successfully blended digital literacy with language reinforcement. By introducing tools like ChatGPT and email alongside grammar revision, the sessions supported participants in becoming more confident, capable, and adaptable learners in an increasingly digital world.

Shrabani continues to attend the training programme regularly and participates actively in all sessions. She completes her assigned tasks sincerely and shows a keen interest in learning new skills. Her consistent effort reflects a positive attitude towards growth, and we believe that the structure of our classes encourages this enthusiasm and supports her continuous development.

The Hundred Miles project is a grassroot leadership initiative led by Cheenta Academy with the aim of addressing a critical yet often overlooked challenge in India’s development system—the persistent skill deficit in rural and semi-rural regions. While access to education and training opportunities has expanded in urban centres, a significant gap remains in neighbouring rural areas, not only in terms of skill availability but also in motivation and aspiration for up-skilling.

A defining socioeconomic characteristic of the participants in the Hundred Miles project is their family income background. Most school and college students engaging in the upskilling and leadership interventions come from households with a monthly family income of ₹10,000 or less.                            

Studies and national-level surveys indicate that in rural regions, nearly 90–92% of households fall within this income bracket, reflecting widespread economic vulnerability and dependence on low-paying or informal livelihoods. In semi-urban areas, where limited urban influence creates slightly diversified income opportunities, the proportion is lower but still substantial, with an estimated 40–60% of families earning ₹10,000 or below per month. This economic reality directly shapes students’ access to resources, exposure, and confidence, reinforcing the need for leadership-focused interventions that prioritise motivation, aspiration-building, and long-term capacity development alongside skill acquisition. 

Many of these participants are first-generation learners who work as teachers in small coaching centres in suburban areas and earn only a small amount of money. Even though they teach others, they themselves come from very weak economic and social backgrounds, with limited exposure and support. Because of daily financial pressure, they often lack the motivation to focus on improving their own skills. Seeing this challenge, the Leadership wing of Cheenta Academy started the Hundred Miles project with a simple question: how can these young teachers be motivated? The idea behind the project is that motivation grows when people start earning with dignity and see real possibilities for their future. By helping them earn, introducing them to small-scale entrepreneurship, and training them in digital literacy, the project aims to build confidence and purpose. This, in turn, helps them become more motivated learners and more enthusiastic teachers for the children in their communities. 

In its initial phase, the Hundred Miles project began on a small and experimental scale. The project was launched in September 2025 with four women participants from Katamari Village in the Sundarban region. Subsequently, two more women joined the initiative. However, despite initial interest and engagement, these participants were unable to continue due to strong family pressures, social constraints, and instances of discouragement and mockery from their surroundings. This early phase highlighted the deep-rooted social barriers that often limit women’s sustained participation in upskilling and leadership programmes in rural contexts.

In late October, the project took a new direction with the inclusion of three school- and college-going girls from Kankinara and Halisahar, two small towns located in the suburban belt of Kolkata. These participants began attending regular sessions at Cheenta Academy’s Kalighat Enrichment Centre. At the centre, they are being trained in practical and context-relevant skills such as digital marketing, English communication, and everyday functional knowledge, including understanding directions and routes, reading medicine expiry dates, and developing general awareness required for independent living and work.

More recently, the project has expanded its scope through collaboration with a local entrepreneur who conducts weekly workshops on embroidery and handicrafts. Through these sessions, the participants are learning income-generating skills that can be practised from their homes, allowing them to balance family responsibilities with economic activity. At the same time, the project is exploring ways to connect them with the local organic labour and product market. With these opportunities, the participants can slowly start earning, while also gaining confidence, independence, and motivation for their future.

An economic support model has also been introduced as part of the project to encourage regular participation. To attend the sessions at the centre, each participant receives ₹250 per week, and those who attend continuously for four weeks are provided ₹1,500 as support for skill training. This model was designed with the belief that small but regular financial assistance could reduce immediate economic pressure and help generate interest and commitment among participants.

While this approach did not prove effective for the participants from the Sundarban region, it has shown positive results among the students from Kankinara. At present, eight students are attending the sessions regularly, indicating that the economic model, combined with skill-based learning and mentoring, is helping sustain engagement and motivation in this context.

The 12th week of the Sundarban and Kankinara Faculty and Training Programme focused on evaluating learning progress while continuing to develop English and professional skills. The session began with an English assessment in the form of a question paper. The paper included a passage from a story, followed by comprehension questions, grammar exercises, synonym-based questions, and a summary-writing task. This assessment encouraged participants to apply their reading, writing, and language skills in a structured manner.

The question paper played an important role in measuring learning outcomes. It helped participants reflect on whether they had been able to understand and retain the concepts taught during the previous weeks. At the same time, it enabled the trainers to assess how effective the training had been and to identify areas that required more attention, such as grammar accuracy, vocabulary usage, and sentence formation. This feedback is valuable for planning future sessions more effectively.

Following the assessment, the training moved on to an introduction to Google Sheets. Participants were familiarised with basic features and practical uses of the tool, which is useful for academic, administrative, and data-handling purposes. This session aimed to improve their digital skills and support their professional development.

The programme concluded with a communicative English class focused on building confidence and reducing fear while speaking English. Participants were encouraged to communicate freely in a supportive environment, which helped them overcome hesitation and express themselves more confidently.

Overall, the 12th week of the Sundarban Faculty Training Programme was productive, combining assessment, skill development, and confidence building to support the participants’ continuous growth.

Shrabani has been participating in this training programme for the past four weeks and attends the classes consistently. She also completes all her homework on time. Her commitment clearly reflects dedication and a genuine curiosity to learn new things. We believe that our classes spark this interest and motivate participants to stay engaged and eager to explore the unknown.

The 11th week of the Sundarban Faculty Training and Kankinara Programme was conducted with a focus on strengthening basic English grammar, formal writing skills, and spoken communication. The session began with a revision of be-verbs, as it was observed that some participants were still facing confusion in their correct usage. The revision helped clarify doubts and reinforced the fundamentals through discussion and examples. This ensured that all participants were more comfortable and confident with the topic before moving forward.

Following the grammar revision, the training session shifted its focus to the composition of an official email. Participants were guided through the structure, tone, and language required for formal email writing. They practised drafting emails based on real-life situations, which helped them understand how to communicate professionally in academic and administrative contexts. This activity was especially useful for improving written communication skills that are essential for faculty members.

In the final part of the session, each participant was asked to speak about Sundarban for three minutes in English. This speaking activity encouraged them to express their thoughts confidently and practise fluent communication. Although some participants were initially hesitant, they gradually gained confidence as the activity progressed. The exercise helped improve pronunciation, sentence formation, and overall speaking ability.

By the end of the session, it was evident that the participants had become more confident in using English, both in writing and speaking. Their active participation reflected that they had worked sincerely on their lessons and were motivated to improve. Overall, the 11th week of the Sundarban Faculty Training Programme was productive and effective in enhancing communication skills and building self-confidence among the participants.

The 10th week of the Sundarban and Kankinara Training further strengthened teachers’ understanding of English grammar and enhanced their digital communication skills. Building on the progress of the previous weeks, this session focused on deepening grammatical clarity, improving sentence structure, and guiding teachers in professional email writing.

Teachers continued their practice on English Tense, and by this week it became clear that they had gained strong confidence in identifying and using different tenses correctly. To extend their learning, the session introduced foundational grammar concepts such as Subject, Verb, and Object, helping teachers understand how these elements form the core of sentence construction. They also learned about the different forms of be-verbs, including am, is, are, was, and were, and practiced using them in meaningful sentences. These activities supported teachers in developing the accuracy needed to explain grammar simply and effectively to their students.

Alongside grammar development, the session continued to strengthen teachers’ digital communication skills. Building on the previous week’s introduction to email, teachers practiced composing official emails, learning the structure of a formal message, the correct use of subject lines, attachments, salutations, and closing statements. Through guided exercises, they wrote sample official letters within emails, helping them prepare for real school-related communication.

The workshop emphasized clarity, correctness, and confidence — both in language and in digital tools. Teachers were encouraged to apply these skills in their classrooms and professional environments, supporting smoother communication and better academic guidance for students.

The Week 10 session marked another step forward in the teachers’ professional journey, showing clear progress in English grammar understanding, sentence construction, and digital literacy. It reinforced their growing capability to teach effectively, communicate professionally, and continue evolving as educators dedicated to student success.

The 9th week of the Sundarban Faculty Training continued to strengthen teachers’ classroom readiness with a focus on practical English grammar, classroom assessment skills, and essential digital literacy. Building on the previous week’s lessons, this session deepened teachers’ understanding of Tense and sentence structure through hands-on practice and guided exercises.

During the session, teachers revised the different forms of Tense and applied them in real-life sentence construction. They practiced identifying tense in sample sentences, converting sentences from one tense to another, and creating meaningful examples for their students. This helped teachers strengthen both their conceptual clarity and their ability to teach grammar in a simple, student-friendly way.

A key highlight of Week 9 was exam copy checking. Since students in Sundarban had recently completed their assessments, teachers were encouraged to bring the answer scripts to the training. Together, they reviewed common student errors, discussed effective marking strategies, and reflected on how to provide constructive feedback. This activity helped teachers better understand students’ learning gaps and plan targeted revisions.

From this week we got more members from Kankinara. Where they start practicing some class decoram and also learn few technical things like Google doc and how to create a question paper for their students in Google doc.

On of them named Shushmita is currently working few things which are related to our office like making some posters from Canva and working on few data on Google sheet.

In addition to academic training, the session introduced teachers to an important digital skill: using Email. Teachers learned how to create an email account, write a proper email, attach files, and maintain digital communication safely. They practiced sending sample emails and discussed how email can support professional communication, school coordination, and information sharing.

The workshop encouraged teachers to integrate grammar practice with real classroom needs while also becoming confident digital users. It highlighted the importance of accuracy, patience, and responsible communication in both teaching and technology use.

Week 9 marked another meaningful step in the professional journey of Sundarban’s educators, strengthening their skills in grammar teaching, assessment, and digital literacy — empowering them to guide students with clarity, confidence, and care.

The 8th week of the Sundarban Faculty Training continued the journey of strengthening teachers’ classroom skills, with a special focus on bilingual writing and core English grammar. Building on the momentum of earlier sessions, this week guided teachers through structured paragraph writing and the foundations of English tenses.

During this session, teachers learned how to help students write a clear and meaningful paragraph on “Amar Sundarban” in both Bengali and English. The training emphasized key elements of good paragraph writing — understanding the topic, organizing ideas logically, using simple and correct language, and expressing personal observation. Teachers practiced creating model paragraphs and explored strategies to support students of different levels in expressing their thoughts confidently.

Alongside writing skills, the group was introduced to the English grammar topic “Tense.” Teachers reviewed the concept of time in language and discussed the basic forms of tense. They practiced identifying tenses in simple sentences and explored classroom activities that can help children understand how tense changes the meaning of a sentence. These exercises prepared teachers to design effective grammar lessons connected to everyday communication and the WBBSE curriculum.

As part of professional development, the session also reinforced the meaningful use of digital tools like ChatGPT. Teachers practiced generating paragraph-writing prompts, grammar worksheets, and creative learning tasks using AI. Discussions highlighted the importance of balancing digital support with traditional learning methods, ensuring that technology enhances creativity rather than replacing it. Teachers reflected on how to guide students in using online tools wisely — promoting independent thinking, careful practice, and constructive use of technology.

The workshop encouraged educators to blend structured writing, strong grammar foundations, and thoughtful digital integration in their teaching. It emphasized essential values such as clarity, guidance, and adaptability, helping teachers create classrooms that are both engaging and supportive.The Week 8 session marked another significant step in the professional development of Sundarban’s teachers. It strengthened their confidence in teaching writing and grammar, and deepened their commitment to innovative, balanced, and student-centered learning — ensuring that both teachers and students continue to learn, express, and grow together.

In the sixth week of the Sundarban Faculty Training, the teachers explored a new and exciting topic — ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence. They learnt how to use ChatGPT for improving their daily work, lesson planning, and communication.

The session showed them how AI can make teaching easier and more creative. Teachers tried writing questions, preparing notes, and even creating lesson plans using ChatGPT. They understood how technology can save time and bring new ideas into the classroom.

This training also helped them see how AI tools can guide students in learning English, solving maths problems, and building curiosity. The teachers were excited to discover how digital tools can support education in their own communities.

The ChatGPT session marked an important step in the teachers’ digital journey — combining technology, creativity, and classroom learning for a brighter educational future in the Sundarbans.

In the fifth week of the Sundarban Faculty Training, the teachers focused on improving their classroom assessment and lesson-planning skills. They learned how to properly check and evaluate students’ answer sheets, understanding how to mark fairly and give supportive feedback to children.

This week also introduced them to the teaching pattern for nursery students. The teachers prepared lesson plans for English, Bengali, and Mathematics. In English, they focused on teaching A–Z letter writing, spelling of numbers from 1 to 20, and simple copying and matching exercises.

In Bengali, they worked on alphabets from অ to ঔ writing five simple words for each letter, and creating fill-in-the-blank and spelling activities. In Mathematics, they started with numbers 1–20, including both number writing and spelling, as well as basic addition and subtraction with pictures and objects to make learning fun.

The teachers also practised question-making for nursery-level tests, inspired by the sample worksheets. These included short exercises such as filling in blanks, matching, counting, and spelling.

The fifth week helped the teachers gain confidence in lesson planning and student evaluation. They are now better prepared to design simple, creative, and age-appropriate activities for young learners in their own classrooms.