DEVI Sansthan (Dignity Education Vision International), a non-profit organization with a global reach, is enabling large scale educational transformation by working with governments and other stakeholders. DEVI’s revolutionary approach embeds global citizenship skills and climate change education, with a focus on foundational literacy. With the vision of universal literacy, the organisation uses research-backed, swift, scalable, and replicable techniques and methodologies to catalyse a paradigm shift in education.
Overview
Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon. Minister of Defence, on ALfA FLN
A New Chapter in Education, by Dr Sunita Gandhi
ALfA: From the Lens of a Reading & Dyslexia Expert
ALfA Disruptive FLN, A Slide Presentation
ALfA Learning Materials in 30 Languages
DEVI Sansthan Dossier
Literacy as a Human Right
Evidence & Publications
DEVI implements rigorous FLN research, using randomized control trials to compare and analyse the efficacy of various literacy programs. Our research has been covered in a recent book by Harvard Graduate School of Education. We also conducted a large-scale survey of Lucknow district in 2015, measuring the literacy of 1.5 million people, which culminated in two peer reviewed journal articles.
S. Gandhi et al, Disruptive Literacy, Bloomsbury 2022
Gandhi, S., "Illiteracy Inequality", Economic & Political Weekly, 2021
S. Gandhi et al, The Inconvenient Truth of Illiteracy Inequality, Journal of New Economics 2021
90-Day FLN Challenge Webpage
Global Systemic Change Report
India Systemic Change Report
Sambalpur Report
LPD report
ALfA Teacher Handbook
Report on Massive Open Online Training
People's Movement for Literacy
45 Days to FLN Challenge
Policymakers Conclave report
Synergy Summit Report
Accelerating Adult Literacy Report
Why Can’t The Children Read?
Global Dream Program in Hamirpur
First 79 Learners Data
A Paradigm Shift in FLN
Why Investing in FLN Should be Prioritized?
Literacy for all
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: The Missing Ingredient
Synergy: Accelerating Learning for All
Transforming literacy education through ALfA
DEVI reports compendium
Children
Before Covid, only 43% of 10-year-olds in Low and Middle Income Countries could read – since then, it has plunged further to 30%. The conventional education system is unable to achieve universal literacy within a reasonable timeframe. Over 22 years of endeavor and 8 years of active research, a revolutionary Accelerating Learning for All (ALfA) approach was developed, that is challenging the status quo by enabling learners to become FLN capable in just 45 working days, compared to the traditional 3-5 years. ALfA uses a known-to-unknown approach which bypasses the need to learn the alphabet, and unlocks the power of paired learning. ALfA programs are being taken up by schools at all levels, nationally and internationally, and is spreading rapidly since its launch in 2022. DEVI Sansthan also advocates for research-based, system-wide reforms.
Achieving FLN in 45 Days and Going Beyond
ALfA: A Groundbreaking Methodology
Fast Track FLN Shows Enormous Capacity of the Children, Need for Dramatic Reform in Education
Accelerating Learning for All in UP Government Schools
A Revolutionary Way FLN in LPD Sambalpur, Odisha
Fast-tracking FLN with the LiteracyNow App
Numeracy One Grade Up
5-Year-Olds Can Read Newspapers with ALfA
Evidence: 5-7 Year Olds are Reading Newspapers
Learners Speak About their Hopes
Shamli FLN Case Study
90-Day FLN Challenge Webpage
Teacher Trainees in Government School Pilot
Youth Leaders
The enthusiasm and idealism of youth is a tremendous resource if harnessed towards service. Since the launch of our Each One Tech One campaign in 2014, student volunteers have been at the forefront of efforts to reach disadvantaged communities. Nearly 500,000 student volunteers have taught illiterate learners using our FLN toolkits.
Out-of-School-Children Learning from Student Volunteers
Student Volunteers as Champions of Literacy
Testimonies of Student Mentors Video
Students of City Montessori School Teaching Disadvantaged Communities
Adults
Globally, the number of illiterate adults has not changed much: still some 770 million adults cannot read, and two-thirds of these are women. DEVI is working for adult literacy, with a particular focus on adolescent girls and women, by helping mobilise people’s movements. In projects ranging from Literacy Chicago, USA, to villages of India, DEVI’s disruptive approach to literacy for adults, has enabled thousands to learn to read in record time, since its launch in 2014.
Literacy Chicago First Lesson with ALfA
Say NO to Thumb Impression
The First Learner
A New Way to Empower Women
Women As Change Agents for Literacy
Women as Literacy Champions
A Movement for Literacy
Towards a People's Movement in Lucknow
Global Policymakers Conclave: Presentation by Fred Mednick
EdTech
Literacy Now Brochure for Student Volunteers
ALfA Disruptive Literacy, Working Even for 3-Year-Olds
Training & Empowerment
DEVI runs highly interactive training workshops for teachers, empowering them with ready-to-implement resources and classroom strategies. In 2023 we launched the Massive Open Online Training series, which has been warmly received with 30,000 views thus far from over 50 countries. 93% of participants found the training to be effective, with 99% saying they had take-away points.
First Massive Open Online Training on Literacy
First Massive Open Online Training on Numeracy
Training Video on Literacy Methodology for Volunteers
Training Video on Numeracy Methodology for Volunteers
A Student Volunteer Demonstrates How to Teach Literacy
Collaborations
DEVI partners with governments, NGOs, schools, and institutions worldwide to implement swift and effective literacy programs. Within India, our partners include district governments of Shamli (UP) and Sambalpur (Odisha), state-level education ministries in UP and Mizoram, and numerous NGO partners. Internationally, DEVI is collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, Maldives; Literacy Chicago, USA; the All Africa Students Union and many more. DEVI also organises forums, such as the Synergy Summits, Policymakers Conclave, EdLeadership Conference and the Disruptive Talks for Literacy, which enable educational thinkers and practitioners to discuss disruptive approaches to large-scale educational transformation.
Global Policymakers Conclave
Robert Jenkin (UNICEF) at Policymakers Conclave
Global Advisory Committee Video of First Meeting
Synergy Summit on a Paradigm Shift in FLN, July 2022
Minister of State for Education on Adopting ALfA FLN for Maldives
Disruptive Talks Highlights
Disruptive Talks on Literacy
Ed Leadership International Roundtable Conferences
Media
DEVI’s groundbreaking FLN work has been covered by a number of newspapers, magazines and news channels. A selection of local, national and international coverage is shared here.
ALfA Global Dream Eyewitness Accounts
Bollywood Stars on Global Dream Literacy
India TV Feature on Global Dream
ABP News Feature on Global Dream
How This UP District is Trying to Improve Learning Level of Children Through Play-way Method
Global Dream Training of Master Trainers in Collaboration with Directorate of Education, Mizoram
Educationist in Lucknow making poor kids literate in 30 hours, Times of India, 2020
Global Dreamshala to make 10k kids literate
Educationist and innovator Dr Sunita Gandhi develops new pedagogy 'Global Dream -ALfA'
Educationist and innovator Dr Sunita Gandhi develops new pedagogy 'Global Dream -ALfA'
The world can now become literate in months, not years, through Global Dream Toolkits: Educationist and innovator Dr Sunita Gandh
Toolkit Helps Kids Learn Reading, Basic Numeracy in Past Two Years of School Closure Due to Pandemic
Free Education Initiative Global Dream Shaala Launches In Uttar Pradesh
Dignity Education to organize National CSR Summit on Literacy and Education
This Educationist Launches 'Global Dream Shaala' To Provide Free Lessons To Out-of-School Children, Adults
30 hours to literacy
Devi Sansthan Lucknow showcases its FLN methodology at Delhi conclave
Free Education Initiative Global Dream Shaala Launches In Uttar Pradesh
World’s Changemakers Gather at D-Talks to Discuss the Solutions for Pressing Literacy Issues
World’s Changemakers Gather at D-Talks to Discuss the Solutions for Pressing Literacy Issues
'Learn to Read, Write in 30 Hours': Ex-World Bank Economist's Inverted Teaching Helps 5 lakh Rural Kids
International Literacy Day: Turning uneducated women into literacy champs
Dr. Sunita Gandhi the ‘Edumonk from Lucknow’ will begin the NAME LITERACY CHALLENGE as part of her Global Dreamshaala program this International Women’s Day.
Indian educationist launches literacy program for out-of-school children, adults
In Conversation with Dr. Sunita Gandhi, President, Dignity Education Vision International (DEVI Sansthan)
This UP teacher is making poor kids ‘literate’ in 30 hour
India Literacy Board (ILB) Appoints Dr Sunita Gandhi As The New Vice-Chairman
Dr. Sunita Gandhi, Founder, DEVI Sansthan to hold a MOOT & Global Policy Makers Conclave
Countering the COVID impact: Renowned educationist Dr. Sunita Gandhi unveils 'pedagogy' to bridge kids’ learning loss of two COVID years
Dr Sunita Gandhi: Transforming Education, Changing Lives
M3M Foundation joins hands with Devi Sansthan…
Devi Sansthan to hold a Global Policy Makers Conclave
This Physicist, Former World Bank Economist, and Educationist is Helping The Illiterate Become Literate in A Month
Our Founder
Dr Sunita Gandhi, an Indian educator, researcher and author, is CEO of Dignity Education Vision International (DEVI Sansthan), and Chief Academic Advisor of her family-run City Montessori School, the world’s largest school, and a recipient of the UNESCO Peace Prize. A PhD in Physics from Cambridge University, UK, Dr. Gandhi served as an Economist at the World Bank. Her recognitions include India's Educationist of the Year 2014, Visionary of Uttar Pradesh 2017, and Shining World Caring Award, Taiwan, 2020.