Learning Forward Retreat in Dehradun, May 2026

An immersive learning experience in Dehradun.

The three Rs

Learn to connect deeply with young people through Reading, Reflection, and Building Meaningful Relationships. 

The YES Way

Youth Engaging Society (YES) offers equal opportunities to every individual: Service, Skill, Sport, and Study.

The six Cs

“The 6 Cs” are designed to equip students for a rapidly changing world.

Read more at: https://schooleducation.com/learning-forward-retreat

सकारात्मक सोच और सही निर्णय- सुनीता त्रिपाठी

सोच ही सब कुछ है, यह अध्याय हमें सिखाता है कि शिक्षक का व्यवहार ही कक्षा का माहौल तय करता है। इसलिए, एक अच्छे शिक्षक की सबसे बड़ी पूंजी विश्वास और अपनी सोच है।

रोमा ने भी यही किया। उन्होंने माता-पिता को बताया, पर बात केवल काउंसलर और अभिभावक तक ही सीमित रखी। रोमा की यह सोच थी कि किसी को शर्मिंदा न किया जाए। उन बच्चियों ने स्वीकार किया कि गलती हुई है। रोमा को लगा कि गलतियों को स्वीकार करना व्यक्तिगत विकास और सफलता का एक महत्वपूर्ण हिस्सा है। हर व्यक्ति गलती करता है, लेकिन सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि हम उन गलतियों पर कैसी प्रतिक्रिया देते हैं। अपनी कमियों को स्वीकार करना ईमानदारी और आत्म-जागरूकता को भी बढ़ाता है।

इस अध्याय में मैंने सीखा कि असफलता और गलतियां जीवन का अंत नहीं होतीं, बल्कि हमें आगे बढ़ने की सीख देती हैं। हर व्यक्ति से गलती होती है, लेकिन सफल वही बनता है जो हार मानने के बजाय दोबारा प्रयास करता है। हमारी सोच ही तय करती है कि हम जीवन और स्वयं को किस प्रकार देखते हैं। जब हमें विश्वास होता है कि हम सीख सकते हैं और आगे बढ़ सकते हैं, तब हम अधिक मेहनत करते हैं और आसानी से हार नहीं मानते। अच्छी सोच वाले लोग गलतियों को सीख के रूप में देखते हैं। हम जानते हैं कि असफलता अंत नहीं, बल्कि सुधार करने का एक अवसर है। रोमा ने भी इसी तरह गोपनीयता रखते हुए, अपनी सोच को दर्शाते हुए सही फैसला लिया।

सुनीता त्रिपाठी, सनबीम ग्रामीण स्कूल

Love, self-reliance, and destiny.

Masterclass

To discuss Adlerian psychology on love, self-reliance, and destiny. Reading from the book “The Courage to be Happy” by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga.

Key Takeaways

• Childhood “Lifestyle for Being Loved”: Children adopt a “lifestyle for being loved” as a survival strategy, using behaviours (e.g., obedience, rebellion) to secure parental attention. This self-centred pattern can persist into adulthood, hindering true self-reliance.

• Love as Self-Reliance: True self-reliance is an attitude, not an economic state. It is achieved by loving others, thereby breaking the cycle of seeking approval and marking the transition to adulthood.

• “Destined One” as an Illusion: The belief in a “destined one” is a fantasy used to avoid the courage required for real relationships. Love is a decision, a promise, and a discipline built through effort, not a pre-ordained meeting.

• Subjectivity of Adler’s Sibling Theory: Adler’s birth-order tendencies are useful observations, not rigid determinants. Factors like parental conditioning and individual passion can override these patterns.

Topics

The “Lifestyle for Being Loved”

• Children adopt a “lifestyle for being loved” as a survival strategy, using behaviours to secure parental attention.

• This self-centred pattern can persist into adulthood, hindering true self-reliance.

• Examples of this lifestyle:

  • “Good Child”: Obeys parents to gain approval.

  • “Bad Child”: Rebels to garner attention, often with precise emotional control.

• True self-reliance is an attitude, not an economic state. It is achieved by loving others, thereby breaking the cycle of seeking approval and marking the transition to adulthood.

Adler’s Sibling Birth Order Theory

• Adler’s theory of birth-order tendencies provides a framework for understanding family dynamics, though it is not deterministic.

• Firstborn:

  • Monopolises parental attention before a sibling arrives.

  • May become a “worshipper of the past” (conservative, pessimistic) if unable to cope with the loss of power.

  • Can also develop into an excellent leader by learning cooperation.

• Second Child:

  • Has a “pacesetter” (older sibling) and a constant drive to catch up or surpass them.

  • Tends to be revolutionary, valuing the overthrow of existing powers.

  • Often stronger due to more experienced parents.

• Only Child:

  • Remains in a position of power, with parents as rivals for love.

  • May develop a “mother complex” and experience psychological anxiety from parental pressure.

The Illusion of the “Destined One”

• The belief in a “destined one” is a fantasy used to avoid the courage required for real relationships.

• People use this ideal to reject real candidates and avoid the risk of a deep connection.

• Adler’s View: Love is a decision, a promise, and a discipline built through effort.

• Metaphor: Love is a “dance of the now.” Happiness is found by engaging with the partner in front of you, not by waiting for a perfect one.

Discussion & Reflections

• Subjectivity of Adler’s Theory:

  • The theory is an observation, not a rigid rule.

  • Parental conditioning and individual passion can override birth-order tendencies.

• Defining Love:

  • Sandeep Dutt: Love is not an emotion or a transaction. It is giving without expectation of return.

  • Vishakha Bisht (Grade 6): Love is a decision to contribute, which removes fear and makes love real.

  • Pushpendra Singh Ranawat: Love is appreciation for another’s existence.

• Defining Courage:

  • Vibhor (Hillwoods Academy): Asked for a definition of courage, noting it seems present in both acceptance and denial.

  • Sandeep Dutt: Suggested reviewing the “Courage to be Disliked” sessions on the My Good School YouTube channel for a full answer.

Next Steps

• Sandeep Dutt:

  • Conclude the “The Courage to be” book series.

  • Launch the next series, “Human Edge in the Age of AI,” based on Nitin Seth’s book.

• Vibhor:

• Review “Courage to be Disliked” sessions on the My Good School YouTube channel to understand the full context of courage.

FATHOM AI-generated notes

Right vs Wrong Part 2: Understanding Teenage Behaviour

Learning Forward Saturday

To read and discuss the book “Wanted Back-bencher, Last-ranker Teacher”, by Kavita Ghosh. Narrators Brinda Ghosh and Sandeep Dutt.

Key Takeaways

• Teen Brain Development: The prefrontal cortex, which governs impulse control and judgment, isn’t fully mature until age 25. This explains why teens often react impulsively and struggle with consequences, especially under stress (“hot cognition”).

• Gendered Alcohol Use: Boys often use alcohol to cope with low self-worth, while girls use it to maintain high self-worth gained from social status. This challenges the common bias that only boys drink.

• Effective Parental Support: Strong family support can neutralise peer pressure. In the book, a girl’s parents allowed one supervised tequila shot for her 16th birthday, demystifying alcohol and removing its allure.

• Learning Forward Updates: The Literacy Project (Financial, Food, Human Edge in the age of AI) is launching in July and September. The Learning Forward Retreat is also hosting teachers from other schools to provide a hands-on preview of the program.

Topics

Teen Brain Development & Behaviour

• The book’s counsellor, Uttara, explained teen behaviour to parents using brain science, citing the book “An Adolescent’s Brain, A Work in Progress.”

• Prefrontal Cortex: This brain region, which controls impulse control, judgment, and planning, is not fully mature until age 25.

• “Hot Cognition”: Under stress, teens can lose the ability to assess situations accurately and make sound decisions.

• Communication Gaps: Teens often lack the communication skills to express feelings effectively, which can lead to offensive-sounding remarks (e.g., “I hate you” may mean “I miss you”).

Gender & Peer Pressure

• Mr Gairola’s surprise that his daughter drank beer revealed a common gender bias, which the book directly addressed.

• Gendered Motivations for Alcohol Use:

  • Boys often use alcohol to cope with low self-worth.

  • Girls often use it to maintain the high self-worth they gain from social interactions, viewing it as a status symbol.

• Peer Acceptance: Patricia’s drinking was driven by a strong desire to be accepted by the “Sizzlers” group, a common motivation for teens with low self-esteem.

Effective Parental & School Support

• Tarini’s Story (Book Example):

  • Problem: A 16-year-old felt embarrassed for never having tasted alcohol and wanted a tequila shot for her birthday.

  • Solution: Her parents allowed one supervised shot at a private family dinner.

  • Outcome: The experience demystified alcohol, removing its allure and proving that strong family support can overcome peer pressure.

• Real-World Application (Brinda’s Experience):

  • Problem: Students caught with alcohol in a boarding school.

  • Ineffective Solution: Suspension (viewed as a “holiday”).

  • Effective Solution: Withheld outing privileges, creating a period for reflection and guilt.

• Sandeep’s Advice: Channel teen energy into productive activities. Build horizontal, trust-based relationships (like Roma’s with the “Sizzlers”) to guide them rather than reprimand them.

Learning Forward Updates

• Literacy Project Launch:

  • Structure: 6-hour workshops in schools.

    • 1.5 hrs: Financial Literacy

    • 1.5 hrs: Food Literacy

    • 45 mins: GSA Ambassador session

    • Follow-up: Online sessions on Human Edge & AI.

  • Schedule:

    • Ballia: July 4

    • Jammu: July 9

    • Gyan Anand Vidyalaya & TWS Ranchi in September

• Learning Forward Retreat:

  • Hosting teachers from Gyan Anant Vidyalaya and PYDS Learning Academy.

  • Objective: Provide a hands-on preview of the program to make the remote Teachers Academy and My Good School initiatives more tangible.

  • Future: Retreats planned for teachers from Ranchi and Mao.

Next Steps

• Brinda: Visit Gyan Anant Vidyalaya; Sandeep will share contact info.

• All Participants: Submit reflections on the book to deepen understanding and improve teaching practice.

• Sandeep: Share contact info for Gyan Anand Vidyale teachers with Brinda.
  
  FATHOM AI-generated notes.

The Multiplier Effect

Read and Lead

To read and discuss chapters 8 and 9 of Every Last Girl by Safeena Husain

Key Takeaways

• The "Multiplier Effect": Educating girls yields massive returns, including a 10% wage increase per year of schooling, a 3% national GDP boost for every 10% increase in female secondary completion, and a 4.2M reduction in child deaths.

• The Core Conflict: The author challenges justifying girls' education for its external benefits, arguing it reinforces patriarchy by valuing a girl for her service to others rather than her intrinsic worth.

• Educate Girls' Scaled Impact: The organisations AI-driven model accelerated its reach from 345k girls in its first decade to enrolling 4M girls in a single year, mobilising 1.5M previously "invisible" girls.

• The Ultimate Rationale: The book's central message is captured by a young learner's quote: "I learned to write so I can write my fate," asserting education as a fundamental right for personal agency.

Topics

Recap: AI-Powered Precision Targeting

• The previous chapter detailed Educate Girls' shift from an inefficient "saturation model" to an AI-powered precision model.

• Inefficient Saturation Model:

  • Slow: 6 years per district.

  • Wasted resources on villages with no out-of-school girls.

• AI-Powered Precision Model:

  • Uses a machine learning model trained on 10 years of data from 1M households.

  • Predicts high-need villages, increasing girls found per village from 18 to 42.

  • Enables targeting the 5% of villages containing 40% of all out-of-school girls.

  • Success amplified by aligning with government policies (RTE, Beti Bachao).

Chapter 8: The Multiplier Effect

• Girls' education is framed as the "highest return investment" in the developing world.

• Case Study: Andu

  • An educated woman who escaped an abusive marriage and became an Upa Sarpanch (local leader) and Educate Girls coordinator.

  • In her 11-village ward, no girls have been out of school for years.

  • Her leadership led to community-wide improvements:

    • Economic: Women learned animal husbandry, increasing milk production tenfold and enabling small businesses (papad, paper bags).

    • Health: Institutional births became the norm, saving infant lives.

• Quantified Returns on Investment

  • Economic:

    • 10% wage increase per additional year of schooling.

    • 10% increase in female secondary completion → 3% national GDP growth.

    • 100% upper secondary completion by 2030 → 10% national GDP uplift, adding $15T–$30T to the global economy.

  • Health:

    • Responsible for >50% reduction in under-five child mortality (4.2M lives saved).

    • Universal primary education → 15% reduction in child mortality.

    • Universal secondary education → 49% reduction in child mortality.

  • Social & Political:

    • Increases women's political participation (voters, candidates).

    • Villages with female leadership invest more in women's priorities (water, education).

    • Educated women are more likely to report domestic violence and stand up to discrimination.

  • Environmental:

    • Reduces disaster deaths by 60% if 70% of young women complete lower secondary school.

    • 12 years of education + family planning → 70 gigaton reduction in GHG emissions by 2050.

• The Core Conflict: Education for Whom?

  • The author challenges the "multiplier effect" argument as patriarchal.

  • Rationale: It justifies education based on a girl's service to others, not her intrinsic worth.

  • Conclusion: If a girl's value isn't recognized as her own, society hasn't truly progressed.

Chapter 9: The Meaning of an Education

• The chapter opens with a profound quote from a young learner: "I learned to write so I can write my fate."

• Educate Girls' Growth & Impact

  • The author reflects on the organization's 15th Foundation Day, addressing a 2,000-person team.

  • Scale: Grew from a small team to 22,000 staff across 4 states, reaching 30,000 villages.

  • Acceleration: The AI-driven model enabled a massive increase in impact.

    • First Decade: 345,000 girls secured education.

    • Single Year (2024): 4,000,000 girls supported.

    • Total: 1.5M previously "invisible" girls mobilized.

• Road Trip to Reconnect

  • The author planned a road trip through Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

  • Purpose: To reconnect with field teams and girls, verifying the human impact behind the statistics.

    
    

    FATHOM AI-generated notes