Introducing Tilli to our schools in Batti - West

It's been two weeks since we came back from Batti and we have so much to tell you about our experience with Tilli...

First of all for those of you that don’t know about TIlli. Tilli is a social-emotional learning tool for early learners that combines Playful Learning, Behavioral Sciences, and Data to drive lifelong, behavioral changes in kids and their caregivers. Tilli's mission is to ensure that by the time a child is 10 years old, they have all the skills, coping strategies, and mindsets they need to thrive in life.

Tilli is fun! Tiili uses gamified strategies and stories to help children build foundational social–emotional learning skills, self-awareness, and relationship skills. We partnered up with Tilli to bring their expertise and passion regarding socio-emotional learning to our partner schools in Batticaloa.

Why Socio-Emotional Learning?

Socio-emotional learning is so important because having people who have had early childhood trauma creates a generation of adults who are withdrawn, depressed, sad and unable to reach their full potential. Socio-emotional learning encompasses essential life skills, including self-awareness, empathy, communication, and resilience. By integrating socio-emotional learning into traditional education, TFSL aims to equip students with the tools they need to succeed both academically and in life.

This is extremely important to the schools in Batticaloa because we have approximately 300 children dropping out of school each year in the Batticaloa West Zone which consists of only 68 schools with a population of 14,600 children. Most of the children coming to these schools come from families that have gone through severe trauma due to the war and continue to have socio-economic challenges. Based on a survey that had been conducted by the Zonal Education office the children drop out of school due to a variety of reasons and some of the reasons that come on top are that they can't keep up with school, they need to drop out of school to support the family, learning disabilities and psychological issues are also on the list.

To name a few more issues that highlight the need for socio-emotional support for children in the area, there are incidents of suicide among school-going children, Child Marriage are custom and is prevalent in the area and there is the occasional brawl in the schools. When speaking to the Zonal Director (at the time) about my plan to bring the Tilli team with me to Batti, she told me about a big brawl in the O Level exam halls. So this is a crucial area that will make a difference for children in Batti West to be able to cope with the challenges that they will face throughout life.

What Happened at the Workshops?

We organised to work with three schools that have primary education in Eravupattu. They were Pankudaveli, Illupadichennai and Kayankudah (The short names for the schools). These three schools are 3 of the 5 schools that TFSL hope to place fellows (as teachers) in the near future.

We worked with over 250 primary school children (Grades 1 to 5) and 20 primary teachers from the three schools. We also had the team from Child Action Lanka join us at Illupadichennai to also get acquainted with the Tilli Toolkit to use at the CAL centre.

The workshops were absolutely fun and if you follow Tilli and TFSL on Instagram, you will be able to see some of the pictures and videos of these workshops. We had Sinan, Siva and Rajeeka as our lead trainers and they did a brilliant job. They first taught the children in their classes and the Tilli characters by reading the Tilli storybook and through fun interactive activities centred around recognizing and managing emotions. The teachers observed our work with the children and then met us after to be taken through a specially curated workshop which helped them understand the importance of SEL and how to use the Tilli kit. The Tilli team's diverse expertise, including psychologists and Special Needs education experts, contributed to the success of these workshops.

Tilli , TFSL and Child Action Lanka Teams with the Teachers of Illupadichennai Ambal Vidyalayam

A workshop with the children from Pankudaveli R.T.M.S

A workshop with the teachers from Pankudaveli R.T.M.S

Looking Ahead

Our commitment to Socio-Emotional education transformation doesn't end with these workshops. With a WhatsApp group established for ongoing communication, with the teachers we will encourage the teachers to utilize Tilli kits for socio-emotional learning activities. We are also scheduling a plan to engage with the teachers regularly through online calls. This sustained effort will allow us to gauge the impact and refine our approach to working with the teachers. As progress continues, TFSL & Tilli plans to revisit the schools, to further enhance socio-emotional learning through Tilli's four modules: Understanding Emotions, Labelling Feelings, Managing Feelings, and Bodies and Boundaries.

Teach First Sri Lanka's collaboration with schools in the Batticaloa West Education Zone stands as a testament to the organization's dedication to reshaping education. By introducing innovative teaching methods and prioritizing socio-emotional learning, TFSL is planting the seeds for a brighter future for students in the region. Once TFSL introduces fellows to the mix we are confident that they would amplify the impact that we have initiated with our partners. As TFSL's fellows will continue to integrate these transformative methodologies, the impact is poised to be far-reaching, empowering generations of students with the skills they need to thrive in the complex modern world.

Sincerely,

Jeremy De Zilwa.