Learning Journeys 1. What is Dronacharya & Ekalavya Tutoring Mentoring Program?
Dronacharya and Ekalavya (DnE) Tutoring Mentoring Program is where interested people, mostly college students or working professionals are paired with high school children from government schools in a mentoring/tutoring relationship. BHUMI offers a structured personal mastery and leadership development training program for mentors and tutors to groom them as leaders, capable of triggering change in society, while also helping the children realize their potential and cope with the challenge of continuing education in challenging circumstances.
2. Who qualifies to be a mentor?
Anybody, who is keen to invest their time in meaningful activities, learning and contributing to transforming themselves and the society, can sign up to be mentors. This includes college students doing their graduation or post graduation, young working professionals, homemakers or retired people.
3. What are mentors expected to do?
Mentors are expected to spend two hours a week with their allotted mentee (one government school child studying in 9th or 10th standard) and help them in the following ways:
- To cope with personal problems.
- To build their self-confidence/self-esteem.
- To build their overall awareness about opportunities in the new economy.
The mentors will do this through the following ways:
- Conversations with respective mentee.
- Meeting the mentees’ parents.
- Do joint activities which are fun-filled, developmental and educational, such as: Sports, Visiting places of historical importance, Science Museums.
- Working on Joint Projects as per Mentees interest. For e.g: Performing a play, Cooking, Making Picture book, etc.
In essence, they are expected to be a friend and role model and influence positive change in these children for duration of 6-7 months. They will also have to commit themselves to the certified training program developed to help them succeed in their role.
4. Who qualifies to be a tutor?
Anybody, who has a keen interest in teaching children from government schools in any one of the following subjects, i.e. Maths, Physics, Biology and English. This includes college students doing their graduation or post graduation, working professionals, homemakers or retired people. Barring English, all other subjects will have to be taught in Telugu; hence it is important that tutors are comfortable in conversing in Telugu. BHUMI has English to Telugu subject wise dictionaries to help the tutors in their work, incase if any one requires any assistance.
5. What are tutors expected to do?
Tutors are expected to spend 4 hours a week, i.e; 2hrs on each Saturday and Sunday teaching 9th and 10th Standard Children from government schools. Each tutor will be allotted 4 batches of 5-10 children each. Tutors can choose any of the 4 subjects (Maths, Physics, Biology, and English) in which they are comfortable. Experts have prepared teaching aids and lesson plans to help tutors succeed in ensuring higher pass percentage. They will also have to commit themselves to the certified training program developed to help them succeed in their role.
6. What is the duration of the program?
The program will last for duration of six-seven months and will come to an end in the last week of Jan as children begin preparations for their final examinations.
7. I am interested in joining DnE as a mentor/tutor. How should I go about it?
Following are the steps to apply as a Mentor/Tutor:
- To apply for the role of a Mentor or a Tutor, kindly register yourself and your friends online at
http://bhumi.in/new/learning-platforms/dne/apply.html
Online registrations start from June 1st 2009.
Last date for applying online as a Mentor or a Tutor: July 18th 2009 - After applying online, one needs to compulsorily attend a quick interview and introduction session at BHUMI office.
BHUMI
102, Osman Plaza
NMDC RD, Humayun Nagar
Hyderabad – 500 028
When: Anyday between 5-7 pm
Ph: +91-9989760002, +91-9703431622
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Last date for attending interview is: 19th July 2009
8. How does Dronacharya & Ekalavya (DnE) Tutoring Mentoring Program benefit government school children, university students and society at large?
DnE Tutoring and Mentoring program is a two way design program that fosters leadership in Tutors, Mentors and Mentees through a structured training program.
This creates social awareness, a system which is self-supporting, a sense of citizenship and proactive ability for Sustainable development of India in everyone involved.
DnE offers learning and reflection in both theory via class room training, workshops, labs, psychometric testing and a practice field through close personal mentoring interactions, between individuals from vastly different socio-economic groups to make the learning cerebral, emotional and visceral.
Accreditation and certification for the mentor’s personal mastery and leadership training program will allow us to translate the training into better employment opportunities for the university students.
Lastly, DnE does not provide mentoring as an aid to the mentees, it stimulates and mobilizes the mentees and mentors, to go out and change the system that creates the need for the aid in the first place. Mentees also “payback” by acting as ambassadors for education in their immediate neighborhood, convincing other parents to send their younger siblings and neighborhood children to school, not into labor or allow them to drop out.
This is how tutors, mentors, mentees and society at large benefit from DnE.
9. When is the launch this year?
The Program is being launched on the 21st of June 2009. Tutoring starts on 21st June, while Mentoring will start in two phases: First phase starts on July 5th 2009 and Second phase starts on July 26th 2009.
10. Will everybody get selected to be a mentor/tutor on DnE Tutoring Mentoring Program?
At DnE Tutoring Mentoring Program we are looking at enthusiastic people, mostly youngsters, who have a keen desire to make a difference to themselves and to a child from government school. We are of the belief that training and grooming would bring about successful changes in any individual, thereby we are investing a huge amount in training. Those desirous of being a part of the DnE program are expected to register with us using the online application form, and then attend a quick interview at BHUMI office @ Masab Tank before being accepted to be a part of the program.
11. Tell me more about the leadership training program.
The personal mastery and leadership training program has been developed specially for tutors/mentors/coaches of DnE Tutoring Mentoring Program by BHUMI’s Learning and Development Board that consists of some of the best Trainers and Facilitators across India
There are four important facets of this program:
- Personal Mastery
- Transformational Communication
- Problem Solving
- Creative Entrepreneurship
These aspects of the training will help our tutors and mentors succeed in their respective roles along with improving their efficiency and helping them stand out among their peers during recruitments, thereby vastly improving their employability.
12. When will I get my certification?
Mentors, Tutors and Coaches will be certified by April 2010, on fulfilling all the requirements of certification. We will look at 80% commitment from mentors, tutors and coaches to make them eligible for certification.
13. What is the value of the certificate given by BHUMI?
effort across the country; its success will lead to the program being adopted across the country. BHUMI is also offering this program to corporations such as Microsoft, Infosys, Google, GE and many other multinational corporations, the kind of companies our tutors, mentors and coordinators would love to work in. These companies will be delighted to offer employment to individuals who have used their studying years constructively gaining vital life skills while making an important contribution to the society.
In years to come, our tutors, mentors and coaches are likely to receive job offers from these companies provided they meet the company’s job requirements.
14. How will Mentors/Mentees and Tutors/Tutees be paired?
There are two important criteria for pairing mentors with mentees and tutors with tutees. Boys will be paired to boys and girls will be paired to girls, we do not encourage mixing of genders between mentors and mentees. However with tutors, there may be some flexibility in pairing. Another important criterion for pairing is the geographic vicinity of the mentors/tutors college/working place/residence from the mentees/tutees school/residence.
15. What are the activities mentors/tutors expected to take up with their respective mentees/tutees?
Mentors and mentees will involve themselves in a lot of activities like playing board games or sports together, building models, reading books, visiting places of significance such as science parks, historic places together which is fun-filled and enriching in experience. In the process of having a good time together there is a sense of trust & confidence building, which will enable mentors/tutors to also influence the child to take responsibility for him/her and pursue their dreams.
Tutors, on the other hand, are expected to help these children with their studies in four subjects viz., Math, Physics, Biology and English. They will spend 2 hrs on each Saturday and Sunday with a batch of 5-10 tutees. Tutors will have the benefit of lesson plans and aids developed by BHUMI to help them with tutoring.
16. How can I succeed in my role, I am just a student myself with no previous experience?
At DnE Tutoring Mentoring Program we believe there’s a hero in each of us, that’s waiting to surface given the right opportunity. This is a perfect platform to grow as an individual while making an invaluable contribution to the society. The training program developed by BHUMI coupled with supporting coaches and BHUMI staff will make sure that you succeed in your role. Step forward with self belief and you will change the world.
17. What will happen if I fail to live up to my time commitments?
Children from government schools live in cynical environments, BHUMI is stepping forward and making them a promise, that there are young people like yourself who are good and who care, if you break this promise you set a very bad example for the children and reinforce their bleak view of the world. To deter mentors and tutors from breaking their commitments, certification will depend on mentors and tutors fulfilling atleast 80% of their commitment.
18. Who qualifies to be a Coach?
Anyone who is genuinely interested in the challenging work of monitoring, facilitating and training a batch of 20-30 mentors and 20-30 mentees or a group of tutors is welcome to apply for the position of a coach. It can also include mentors from previous batch who are keen to take their learning’s to a new level.
PG College students who believe they will thrive in this challenging role are eligible to apply for the position of coach, they can acquire work experience with BHUMI before seeking full time employment.
19. What are coaches expected to do? How do I apply to be a coach?
The coaches are entrusted with three critical responsibilities which include:
- Coaches are expected to liaison with schools, parents of mentees and batch of 20-25 mentors or all tutors in a school. This requires them to be adept at relationship management and conflict resolution.
- They must facilitate and monitor mentor-mentee, tutor-tutee interactions and file reports on a regular basis.
- They must mandatorily attend the Personal Mastery and leadership development training modules and subsequently train batches of mentors/tutors in lead or supporting role. The trainers who are a part of BHUMI’s Learning and Development board will groom the coaches as and when needed.
Each Coach will be attached to a BHUMI-DnE team member who will assist the Coach at any given point of time, as and when required. Coaches will be provided with an e-Coach Guidebook that explains their role in detail.
TO APPLY FOR THE ROLE OF A COACH, PLEASE SEND US YOUR PROFILE/RESUME TO This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it WITH SUBJECT CODE: COACH
Additional Optional Responsibilities that can be taken up by a Coach:
Get more involved with BHUMI in areas related to project management or other roles such as College coordinators.
Time Commitment required: 10-15 hrs a week.
Last date for applying as a Coach: July 15th 2009
20. Apart from the role of a mentor, tutor and coach, is there any other role I could take up?
Apart from the already mentioned roles of mentor/tutor/coach, we are also looking at people who are solely interested in training batches of mentors/tutors. Those who are interested to join us as Trainers or know more details on the same are requested to send their resume or bio data or queries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with Subject Code: TRAINER. BHUMI will get back to them regarding details of the profile.
Last date for applying as a trainer: July 15th 2009
21. What is the duration of the program for the coaches?
Coaches will be working with the program from Mid June’ 2009 to Mid Mar’ 2010. The coaches will have the additional responsibility of completing the assessment of mentors/mentees towards the end of the program. And submit their reports by end of May.
22. Is it fun to do?
We have worked with 2000 college students over the last 3 years and each of them felt exhilarated with their involvement in our projects. Try it once, the satisfaction you will receive at seeing a child walk forward with confidence because you believed in him/her is incomparable.
