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The VSR School is in the western part of Chittoor District in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. It was built in a semi-arid region, one of the driest in India, that is still highly dependent on rainfed agriculture and experiences a high rate of poverty. The nearby government schools have been unable to meet the need for quality education of families in the area, especially those of limited means. The school was begun in 2008 by interested persons with roots from the area, through the VSR Trust. It is an institution that values critical thought and tolerance of many beliefs and religions, and is sensitive to the financial background of its students. The school accepts students from age three in the Montessori pre-school/kindergarten, through the tenth standard. The principal and teachers have largely been locally recruited. They are motivated and impart a standard of education that is perceived in the area to be high, leading to a considerable demand to enroll in the school from families of all religions, castes and classes, although the students are largely from poorer families.
 

Wherever possible, the school attempts to employ the Montessori method of teaching, especially in early school education, and teachers have undergone training through the help of teachers from a leading school in Bangalore that uses the method. Additionally, strong support has been provided by the Indian Montessori Center’s Ms Sujatha Kumar. Students from the school have brought recognition to the school in public examinations and inter-school competitions. The school also has some special features, such as an arts program centred on clay pottery and earthen sculpture, which is a local craft, and taught by an experienced teacher from a traditional potter family. The children have conducted a variety of ecological activities such as the maintenance of a kitchen garden and tree planting, community outreach plays on avoidance of contaminating the environment, and so on. Solar panels have been in use for water heating. This year, a rainwater harvesting facility was established in the school and further opportunity was taken to strengthen the environmental education component of the curriculum.
 

The school attempts to provide support for the entire community in different ways, for example through a medical outreach ‘camp’ earlier this year in cooperation with the medical college of SV University, which offered free primary care services for  community members from surrounding villages, and referrals to clinics and hospitals in a regional center. One of the findings of the camp was that children in the area remain highly malnourished, adding further impetus to the schools existing aim to provide nutritional support to the students. This is accomplished in the form of daily ragi malt drinks (a local high protein grain powdered with milk), and lunches at least once a week. Through the efforts of its trustees, the school has recently received government authorization to receive foreign funds.  It also has been awarded all required government permissions to operate, a significant volunteer time investment in its own right. The school enjoys tremendous interest and support from its trustees and the local community, despite various growing difficulties and constraints.

One hundred percent of funds donated are used for direct school needs such as teacher salaries, student nutrition, and per student costs.