Bandipora, Feb 28: Hills & Hearts Foundation has successfully concluded its Winter Community Learning Centres initiative in three remote tribal villages of Bandipora, extending structured academic support to over 300 first-generation learners during the winter school closure.
In a statement issued to Kashmir Convener, an official spokesperson of the organisation said the initiative was implemented in the villages of Chandaji, Ketson and Reshwari, where students from tribal and labour-class families often face severe learning disruption due to prolonged winter vacations, limited transport facilities, lack of private coaching centres and economic constraints.
Spokesperson said the Foundation said the learning centres ensured continuity of education at the community level and were provided free of cost to families.
According to the Foundation, the centres functioned for nearly two months and followed a blended academic model. Local youth volunteers conducted structured classes four days a week to help students complete their syllabus, focusing on textbook reading, conceptual understanding and strengthening subject fundamentals.
On weekends, interns and teachers from private coaching institutions voluntarily joined the programme to work on foundational skills, particularly reading, writing and speaking, with special emphasis on English.
The centres were fully volunteer-driven and supported by the local community, helping overcome barriers related to geography, affordability and seasonal isolation. Residents acknowledged the visible impact of the initiative on children’s learning habits.
Musharaf, a local resident, said that for the first time children in the village attended regular coaching classes during the winter break instead of staying at home. Another resident, Iqrar Ahmad, said the community had long felt the need for such an initiative as children were falling behind academically, adding that the learning centre had fulfilled a long-standing aspiration.
With three learning centres catering to over 300 students, the Foundation said the programme has helped students return to school from March 1 without the usual academic gap caused by winter closures. The organisation described the model as low-cost and scalable, with potential for replication in other remote and tribal areas of Kashmir facing similar seasonal learning challenges.
Hills & Hearts Foundation, a grassroots organisation working in Jammu and Kashmir, focuses on community-driven interventions under its core pillars of education, environment, employability and empowerment.
The Foundation has expressed willingness to collaborate with government institutions and partners to strengthen educational continuity in underserved regions.
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