#7 The Best People to Talk To – The Story Must be Told: Simple Education Foundation (SEF)

Game Changers – Projects and People that Create Impact. "Simple Education Foundation” and Mainak Roy.

Today, we are honored to have a special guest – Mainak Roy , the founder and CEO of the renowned Indian organization Simple Education Foundation (SEF).

SEF is dedicated to transforming the education system in India by working with government schools, teachers, and children to create a higher quality and more accessible education for all. In this interview, Mainak Roy will share his personal journey, the mission of SEF, and the large-scale projects that are already changing the future for millions of Indian children.

Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your journey?

Mainak Roy: Absolutely! As an engineer by training, teacher by passion, and entrepreneur by choice, my life underwent a significant transformation at the age of 22 when I entered a government school classroom. This classroom represented a microcosm of India, filled with children from diverse backgrounds united by their parents' aspirations for a brighter future in Delhi. The two years I spent as a Teach For India Fellow taught me more about my country, poverty, gender, religion, and caste than I had learned in the previous 22 years.

How did this shape your future endeavors, particularly with the Simple Education Foundation?

Mainak Roy: Indeed, it was a transformative period for me. This experience led to an essential realization: improving government schools is our best chance at ensuring every individual can live a life of their choosing. This conviction motivated me to establish the Simple Education Foundation (SEF), an organization dedicated to empowering children to build a better tomorrow. Our mission focuses on equipping government teachers with the skills needed to become loving, intuitive educators for every child.

How have you applied this mission in the past decade?

Mainak Roy: Over the last decade, I’ve dedicated myself to designing and implementing high-impact, sustainable interventions for children's education. Recognizing that no single organization can tackle this challenge alone, I’ve also mentored new organizations and founders, sharing my experiences and creating a supportive space that I wished I had when starting SEF. This support system was further strengthened when I was accepted into the Acumen India Fellowship in 2017, which has been an incredible journey.

What future goals do you have in mind?

Mainak Roy: My goal for the next 22 years is crystal clear: to ensure every child in India has a skilled, loving, and intuitive teacher in their classroom. This is not just a professional aspiration but a personal mission to transform the future of education in our country.

Let’s delve into the work of the Simple Education Foundation. Could you tell us more about the organization and its mission?

Mainak Roy: Certainly! At Simple Education Foundation (SEF), we aim to help children in government schools thrive through powerful learning experiences. We firmly believe that highly skilled, loving, and intuitive teachers can transform a student’s learning experience.

What strategies does SEF employ to achieve this transformation?

Mainak Roy: At SEF, we collaborate with government entities to build state-wide training programs for school teachers and principals, making learning in public schools across India more engaging and impactful for children. Our programs are tailored to address specific teaching and learning needs in local regions. We co-design processes and frameworks with government institutions and educators to help them implement and scale these programs independently over the long term.

That sounds like a sustainable approach. Can you tell us more about the team behind SEF?

Mainak Roy: Absolutely. We are a team of trained educators with years of experience working in and with the public education system. Our goal is to utilize our learnings to build scalable programs that can strengthen the capabilities of current and future teachers across India. With the right skills and support, teachers can elevate the quality of student learning in government schools to be on par with the best schools in the country.

Currently, SEF works in more than 20,000 schools, supporting over 250,000 teachers and impacting more than 5 million children across three states in India: Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Punjab.

Contact Simple Education Foundation        

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.simpleeducationfoundation.org/

Let’s work together to change lives and create a better tomorrow for the children in our rural communities.

About us        

SoHUMAN is a creative agency that offers digital, PR, marketing, brand strategy and video production craftsmanship for business growth and social good. The company works with charities and not-for-profit organizations to maximize their positive impact on the world through brand campaigns worldwide.

We’re in business to bring more charity and purpose to our world. We aim to use the resources we have — our voice, creative skills, our business and our community — to bring more value to the people in need, being a connecting link between charity and the business world.

We accomplish marketing and advertising special projects for FinTech, HealthTech, eCommerce, FMCG, Entertainment Industry, Beauty and Sustainable Fashion.

EXPLORE OUR PRESENTATION

Join 1150+ subscribers for biweekly charity, goodvertising and purpose-driven marketing insights for B2B and B2C. Covering creative positioning, messaging, impactful social and charity projects worldwide.        

Your SoHUMAN Team

www.sohuman-agency.com (coming soon)