"Shwopnochura Shafat Memorial School" was launched in the memory of one of the founding members of Heroes for All- Qazi Shafat Ahmed who left this world in 2017 after a courageous battle with Cancer. Shafat himself was a victim of an education system that failed to acknowledge the uniqueness of a learner who brings new gifts to the world with one’s own potential and thoughts. This is why, he dreamt of a school where a child can grow up to enjoy learning and have scope to be curious and can thrive knowing his and her gifts are acknowledged.

The School is a project focused on merging dreams of philanthropic-minded people who would like to bring positive change through progressive learning in local rural communities. Heroes for All and Shafat’s family & friends, well wishers, progressive minded people and organizations thus came forward to help us build this dream one brick at a time.

The project will not limit its activities focused only on advanced curriculum-based learning but heighten its effectiveness helping the students to become open-minded learners who will be curious, caring, ethical and moral global citizen. It will be a pilot project for small communities that can become an agent of transformation creating a safe-space and learning center to build a better, cleaner, caring and informative community.

Value : Every Child irrespective of social background, religion, ethnicity or disabilities can rise to their potential if proper environment and guidance is provided from early childhood.

Objective : To build a school for low-income and underprivileged children in Ashulia Industrial Zone that will provide effective early childhood learning experience both in Bengali and in English with an extra emphasis on English language. The Primary school education will be designed in a way so that the children from Pre-K to grade 5 can have the right tools of communication and life skills to develop themselves as -

• An independent and creative learner

• Caring and environmentally conscious citizen

• Critical thinker with leadership skills

• Better communicator in both Bengali and in English

• Aware on one’s own interest and true potential

• Responsible adult on Health & Hygiene

• A person of strong moral character with a positive mind-set

The school space can also become a learning incubator for the community after-school hours and on the weekend introducing Parenting Workshop, Nutrition and Computer training classes, etc.

Target Area : Ashulia Industrial Zone.

Target Population : Children from the local community (low Income families) and the children of the local industrial workers, parent and teachers, local low-income residents.

Strategies : Engaged learning and teaching through hand-on experiences, field trips, career days, community engagement projects, development of reading habits, leadership camps, self-discipline, team-work, competitions, imagination and creative thinking, arts and culture, disciplined work-habits, involvement in play and sports.

Create Community connectedness through programs that brings the community together such as school fair, reading clubs, computer training for both adults and children, monthly parenting workshop, creating scope for parents to volunteer in their children’s class, neighborhood clean-up programs.

Continuous teachers’ development through training by experts in the field of child psychology and well-being, and early childhood learning experts.

Help the learners to develop language skill from early age both with the proper pronunciations of Bengali and English language. Volunteer Students from colleges in USA and from Bangladesh will be involved with the local kids encouraging the learning through fun methods and mentoring.

Building strong moral character and ethical standards through monthly programs on values and world-views introducing role models, regular practices and awards.

Current Stage of the Project : The ground floor of the school is completed and ready to welcome students once we can finish the task of creating a bright, inviting and inspiring space for learning for the Pre K and Kindergarten students who will be moving onwards to the next classes after becoming immersed in the culture of non-traditional learning.

Monthly Operating Cost : USD $4080.00 or BDT 3,46,800.00 Taka