HOW YOU CAN HELP
All donations are gratefully appreciated and welcome!
The Alpha School serves the poorest of poor families in the Mandawalli section of New Delhi. To continue to do so, we need the generous support of many. 100% of all funds and contributions go to directly to the Alpha School; all administration and fund-raising are done by volunteers.
Scholarships: $25 for a month or $300 for a year
The school tuition for the Alpha School is approximately US $100 per student (or $15 a month) for classroom materials and a school uniform; however only 13% of our students’ families are able to pay this. We provide scholarships to 87% of our students who would not be educated otherwise. The REAL cost for each student is actually about $300 per student, which is underwritten by the generous donations of many from the US, India, Australia, and other countries.
School Uniforms: $60 per child each year
Each child receives two complete sets of uniforms for the school year.
English Language Instruction: $150 a month or $1,500 a year for a Certified English Teacher
Both primary language instruction (Hindi) and second language instruction in conversational English are taught. The children are often not completely fluent in their own language, yet must learn English to be able to succeed.
Laptop Computers: $300 each
Introducing children to technology and accelerating their learning is the one of goals of the Alpha School. This is essential for individualization of instruction, particularly with language learning.
Operating Costs: $150 a month or $1,500 a year
The Alpha School’s operating costs includes teachers’ salaries, utilities, supplies, maintenance and rent.
Rosetta Stone Language Programs in Hindi and English: $750 per license
This program has proven very effective in improving the children’s language learning. It allows for individualization and immediate feedback and practice that is beyond the teachers’ capacity.
Rooftop Outdoor Space: $2,500 one-time expense
The Montessori precepts of self-directed learning and observation are primary tools in the science curriculum, particularly in botany and growing plants. The Alpha School is located in a very densely populated location with little space for play or gardening. Most classrooms have no windows. The school would like to transform the rooftop into a safe learning and play/garden area to fully implement the Montessori curriculum and provide a space for children to play. Fencing, railing, garden supplies, and building supplies are needed.
All contributions are tax deductible.
Read more about current and future needs....
Expansion of space: The school needs more space to add classrooms for the growing needs of children in the Nursery and Kindergarten sections, and to start the Elementary program (grades 1 to 5). The current location of the school does not have any outdoor space for the children to play and learn. They are limited only to classroom academic education, and lack physical education. Outdoor education is critical to the physical and mental growth of a child. Obtaining land to create an open space playground with grassfor the children at the school requires a major gift of $300,000 US, one that would benefit the children and the community in innumerable ways. At present, our goal is build a small vegetable garden on the roof. We need materials for not only the garden, but safety railings. We can hardly wait for them to plant their first vegetables and watch them grow.
Classroom furnishings: Other pressing needs for the school are furniture, equipment, and educational materials to furnish classrooms. Each year, as we add one more grade of Montessori teaching for the kids, we must outfit classrooms for optimum, educational results.
Library and computer room: Additionally, the school needs books, computers, and laptop computers to supply a library and a computer room for the children and teachers.
Cultural education: The students of Alpha Montessori School need your financial support of educational field trips, as they rarely have an opportunity to leave their neighborhood. Field trips to museums, cultural events, and historical monuments would increase their awareness of their own culture, art, science, and beauty, and provide them a wider perspective of the world.
Salaries for teachers: There is a need for funding to train an in-house teacher/trainer to provide continuing education and guidance for the staff. This will be the most cost-effective way to bring the highest level of education possible for the children. This will also free other staff and volunteers to develop the health and education programs for the families of the children and the immediate community.
Teacher education: IGNITE asks for your funding to increase the continuing education of teachers in the Montessori method for the Nursery and Kindergarten levels. Currently, teachers are being educated by volunteers from the US. In addition, we need to appoint and train qualified teachers for the Elementary grade levels (grade 1 to grade 5). We seek your financial support to bring extensive training to them.
Health and parent education program: Alpha Montessori School needs qualified and trained staff to provide education for its expanding programs. If we are to affect the whole community, in ways Our Mission aspires, these exciting and effective programs need to be expanded within the School and into the larger community as well.
Your tax deductible donations may also be mailed to: Contact us:
IGNITE: A Foundation for Learning info@igniteafl.org
Brook Empey, Program Manager
241 S. Cedros Ave.
Solana Beach, CA 92075 USA
Who We Are
To provide education to the underprivileged children in a developing nation is a challenging, multidimensional project. It requires funds and resources, as well as individuals who see the need for this type of work, who step beyond the familiar, work together, and are committed to building a better world.
Below is a list of some of the volunteers, whose vision, work, and joint effort gave shape to the birth and development of Alpha Montessori School and to the creation of IGNITE - A Foundation for Learning; a non-profit foundation, created to fund Alpha Montessori School.
If this project touches you, we invite you to join us in giving life, future, and a world of possibilities to the less fortunate children and families around the world, starting in this one community. Alpha Montessori School and its students need and deserve your support. They and we appreciate your contributions and your in-kind gifts.
All donations are tax deductible by citizens and residents of the United States of America. IGNITE is a 501(c)3 foundation in the United States.
We Invite You to Join Us
Amita Bardwick, Ph.D., Executive Director
CFO, David Alan Collection, Solana Beach, CA
Brook Empey, Program Manager
Executive Assistant, David Alan Collection, Solana Beach, CA
Vel Hulton
Former Computer Teacher, Maria Montessori Schools Computer Lab, San Diego, CA
LoAnn Jundt
Executive Director, Montessori Center for Teacher Education, San Diego, CA
Betty Bailey
Administrative Director, Maria Montessori Schools, San Diego, CA
Michael Sanderson
Director, Montessori School of Raleigh, NC
Kalpu Shah
Director, Montessori School of Raleigh, NC
David Bardwick
CEO, David Alan Collection, Solana Beach, CA
Jeff Stratton
Architectural Design Consultant, International
David Hulton
President, ToorCon Foundation, Seattle, WA
Tim Huynh
Vice President, ToorCon Foundation, San Diego, CA
Robert Zafran, Ph.D.
Rancho Mirage, CA
Bera Sekhon
Non-Profit Development, San Jose, CA
Ankit Grover
Software Engineer
BlackRock, San Francisco, CA
Amber Kerr
English Instructor
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Jeff Kelley
Spitfire Productions
San Diego, CA
Rajesh Batra
President, Adhyatmic Vikas Shiksha Sanstha, Delhi, India
Rajalakshmi Mohan
Academic-in-Charge, Alpha Montessori School, Delhi, India
Suman Grover
President, Lagan Karayashala, Delhi, India