Unbundle 4.0: Empowering Early Childhood Care & Education through Micro-Improvements

Unbundle 4.0: Early Childhood Care and Education, hosted by ShikshaLokam in collaboration with the EkStep Foundation and Makkala Jagriti, [the group has come together as an ECCE Collective] successfully brought together over 30 participants from the ECCE space. The event witnessed an impressive array of foundations in attendance such as Seed2Sapling Education Foundation, Vathsalya Charitable Trust, illume, Societal Thinking, Eduwave, The Samhita Academy, Dost Education, among others.

With a focus on micro-improvements in early childhood Care & Education, this edition of Unbundle 4.0 aimed at enabling the participants to envision the key role of education leadership (educators, parents, policymakers, and communities) to ensure the best holistic development opportunities and a nurturing environment for our young children.

As is the norm at such events, we started with an icebreaker activity ‘Mingle’ for participants to get to know each other. Norms were established to ensure a collaborative environment through the day.

Participants delved into the transformative impact of small improvements, drawing inspiration from the book “Atomic Habits” (which illustrates the power of small, incremental steps in building and sustaining positive habits). Participants then shared their experiences on how they can achieve a lot both in their personal and professional lives by undertaking small steps. For example, one participant shared how they managed to enhance their reading habit to successfully complete a book by dedicating just 10 minutes to reading every day. Another participant explained how they elevated their batting skills by committing a consistent amount of time each day to practise the sport.

The following discussions centred around desired changes in the education ecosystem and need for improving the interactions between various stakeholders. They explored three lenses for viewing the challenge. The scale at which the problem exists, the speed at which solutions have to be designed, and the need for sustainable solutions. In our work at ShikshaLokam, we have learned that to be able to catalyse exponential change, a program or a solution should be able to address these three challenges.

We then shifted focus to the micro-improvement approach- a tried and tested method to address the three challenges. The participants deep dived into the characteristics of successful micro-improvements -simplicity, collaboration, continuity, achievability, agency, and visibility. Gaining insight into the concept, the participants recalled and shared examples from their work, highlighting the inspiring efforts of their organisations in the ECCE domain. A video featuring a parent’s experience reinforced the concept of achieving goals through small, actionable steps.

Towards the end, participants were guided through the process of setting goals, identifying stakeholders, outlining steps, and determining duration for implementing their own micro-improvement projects.

Lively discussions fostered creativity, innovation, and knowledge exchange, showcasing the practicality and effectiveness of the micro-improvement approach. Moreover, the immersive experience enabled them to imagine the impact that the approach can drive on ground with their stakeholders.

Unbundle 4.0 concluded with the launch of a microsite by Makkala Jagriti, serving as a repository for improvement stories in the ECCE domain. This microsite aims at building the narrative of micro-improvements in early childhood education. Individuals are invited to contribute their micro-improvement stories, fostering a community of knowledge sharing and inspiration. The 7+ organisations have already contributed their stories.

At Unbundle 4.0, we successfully strengthened a collective enthusiasm and commitment to build an ecosystem that nurtures holistic child development.

If you wish to contribute micro-improvement stories or want to join the ECCE Collective, please contact Amrutha at amrutha@makkalajagriti.org.

Meet the Author

Lydia Johnson

Lydia is a dedicated social worker who is passionate about working with children to make a positive impact. She has also worked with Hope Torch, Spastic Society of India and Teach for India, getting trained and helping others. Her empathetic and compassionate approach has allowed her to build meaningful connections with people, empowering them to achieve their full potential. Lydia’s knack for turning the ordinary into extraordinary has made her a go-to person for spontaneous adventures and epic road trips. From chasing sunrises & sunsets on mountain peaks to seeking hidden gems in bustling cities, she's always up for adventure.