In Tamil Nadu, the Madhi Foundation has been working tirelessly to strengthen foundational learning for every child. With years of experience collaborating with the government and local stakeholders, they recognized that parents are critical partners in a child’s educational journey—and that enabling them with the right tools and support could be transformative.
The Communities Enabling Foundational Learning (CEFL) program, now in its third year, has scaled from 200 parents in Chennai to 30,000 parents across four districts. At its heart, the program blends in-person engagement with digital nudges via Glific, ensuring parents stay informed, motivated, and empowered.
Why Parents Are Central to Foundational Learning
Madhi saw a chance to deepen parent involvement beyond school attendance and homework by helping them:
- Understand key learning goals
- Track progress on milestones
- Get practical solutions for gaps, alongside teachers & schools
This needed consistent, personalized communication—both in person and through tech.
The CEFL Program in Action
The program operates with Community Education Workers stationed at the panchayat level. These locally rooted staff:
On the technology side, the CEFL app integrates program management with communication. It:
The Role of Glific
Glific has been a key enabler for the CEFL program by:
- Providing a seamless platform for WhatsApp-based communication
- Supporting both one-on-one and group messaging to foster peer learning
- Offering deep understanding of the social sector context and ongoing knowledge-sharing through community sprints
Looking ahead, Madhi aims to maximize the potential of WhatsApp groups to create vibrant peer networks for parents—building social validation, sharing experiences, and encouraging action.
Blending Physical and Digital Engagement
Workshops happen roughly once every six weeks, but Glific bridges the gap between sessions. Parents receive a steady stream of targeted messages, videos, and activity prompts—ensuring ongoing support even if they can’t attend every meeting.
The program also customizes nudges based on attendance and engagement:
- If a parent attends a workshop, they receive follow-up content
- If absent, they get alternate content so they don’t miss critical information
Customization Through AI and Data
The next phase focuses on AI-driven personalization:
- Adapting activities to a child’s current learning level
- Tailoring nudges to a parent’s engagement profile
- Using AI to detect data gaps, clean datasets, and generate actionable insights
For example, a child struggling with counting to 100 won’t receive exercises with numbers up to 500—avoiding frustration and ensuring progression.
Lessons for Other NGOs
Madhi’s experience shows that information alone is not enough—parents need tools, guidance, and motivation to act. A combination of local, in-person relationships and scalable, tech-enabled communication can transform parental engagement in education.
With Glific’s support and their own innovation, the Madhi Foundation is redefining how communities can work together to give every child the strong educational foundation they deserve.