Ujyalo Yatra Academy: 1st Anniversary & Annual Day 2026

UJYALO YATRA ACADEMY | THERA, DHANUSHA

A school’s first year is built through everyday moments: children learning something new, teachers preparing their lessons, and students finding the confidence to participate. Ujyalo Yatra Academy’s 1st Anniversary & Annual Day 2026 brought these moments together through speeches, singing, dance, cultural performances and an opportunity for our teachers to continue developing their skills.

Held in Thera, Mithila Bihari Municipality-10, Dhanusha, Nepal, the celebration combined student participation with warm wishes for Dashain 2083. The occasion also included “Smart Teaching with Digital & AI Tools”, a teacher development workshop facilitated by Ravindra Yadav on 16 October 2026.

A Year of Learning. A Journey Ahead.

Celebrating our children’s participation, appreciating our teachers, and continuing to strengthen everyday learning.

A Warm Welcome and Dashain 2083 Wishes

Principal Pinky Yadav opened the student programme with a welcome address and extended wishes for Dashain 2083. Her address marked the beginning of an occasion dedicated to the school’s first-year journey and the people contributing to it.

For our school, which serves children from Playgroup to Grade 5, the anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate learning beyond written exercises and classroom routines. Children had space to speak, perform, work together and share their interests with others.

Student Speeches, Singing and Cultural Performances

Students from different classes delivered speeches on a variety of topics. Taking the microphone gave them an opportunity to express their ideas and practise speaking before an audience.

Singing, group dances, solo performances and cultural presentations brought colour and energy to the programme. Some children contributed through words, others through music and movement. Together, their participation made the celebration a reflection of the different interests within our school.

Our teachers helped students prepare their speeches and performances. Behind each presentation were rehearsals, explanations, encouragement and opportunities to try again. We appreciate the care and effort our teaching team brought to these preparations.

Activities like these give children practical opportunities to practise cooperation, follow instructions and communicate. They also help teachers notice how children participate and where additional guidance may be useful.

Appreciating Our Teachers and Closing the Student Programme

Poonam Ma’am delivered the closing remarks for the student programme, bringing the performances and speeches to a close. The occasion recognised the children’s participation and the teachers who supported their preparation.

Ravindra Yadav also spent time guiding students and supporting activities during the celebration. His participation connected the student programme with the teacher development session that followed.

After the children were dismissed, the focus shifted to our teaching team. The anniversary celebrations continued with a practical workshop on using digital resources and AI to support teaching.

Teacher Development Through Digital and AI Tools

Our workshop, “Smart Teaching with Digital & AI Tools,” was facilitated by Ravindra Yadav, an AI Educator, Applied AI Researcher and Corporate AI Trainer based in Nepal. He also supports Ujyalo Yatra Academy as its AI Curriculum & Digital Learning Advisor.

The session focused on accessible ways to support everyday teaching. Teachers participated using their smartphones, while demonstrations were shared through a projector. The approach suited educators beginning to explore digital tools and online teaching resources.

The workshop connected technology with familiar teaching tasks: preparing a lesson, choosing an explanation, finding a useful resource and planning an activity children can participate in.

Digital teaching resources: finding materials relevant to a subject, grade and learning goal.
Effective lesson preparation: connecting explanations and classroom activities with what children should understand or be able to do.
Interactive learning: considering how pictures, videos and digital activities can support questions, discussion and hands-on practice.
AI-assisted preparation: exploring support for explanations, activity ideas and learning materials, with teachers checking the results before use.
Government education resources: demonstrating materials available through Government of Nepal platforms and discussing their relevance to classroom teaching.

Teachers participated in discussion and explored how these approaches could fit their work. They found the interactive session useful for developing their skills and considering additional ways to prepare engaging lessons.

Connecting Teaching Resources with Nepal’s Curriculum

The session reinforced our commitment to planning teaching with reference to Nepal’s Curriculum Development Centre. A textbook provides important content, while curriculum guidance helps teachers identify the learning outcomes that content should support.

For teachers using private-publisher textbooks, this means reviewing how a chapter connects with the intended learning for the relevant grade. Supplementary activities can then be selected to provide further explanation, practice or opportunities to demonstrate understanding.

Government platforms such as Sikai Chautari offer additional education resources teachers can explore. Each resource still needs to be checked for its language, difficulty, accuracy and connection to the lesson.

A digital resource is most useful when the teacher has a clear plan for children’s participation. After viewing a picture or a short video, children might explain what they noticed, answer a question, draw an example or complete a related activity away from the screen.

Responsible Technology Use with Teachers at the Centre

Our focus is on using technology thoughtfully to support learning. AI-generated content needs checking for factual errors, unsuitable examples and language that may be too difficult for the intended age group.

Teachers remain responsible for choosing materials and adapting them to their classes. A familiar object, a story, a conversation or a physical activity may be the most suitable way to explain a topic. Digital and AI tools can assist preparation where they serve that learning purpose.

The workshop introduced ideas for teachers to explore further. Their value in the classroom will depend on how they are reviewed, adapted and used, followed by attention to how children respond.

The Facilitator’s Perspective

Ravindra has also shared a personal account of the celebration and workshop, reflecting on his interactions with the children, his connection to Madhesh and the role of teacher development in everyday learning. Read his reflection on AI training for teachers at Ujyalo Yatra Academy.

Workshop announcements: Before the session, we shared details of the teacher development workshop on LinkedIn and Instagram.

A First-Year Milestone and a Continuing Commitment

Our first anniversary brought together two important parts of school life: children having opportunities to express themselves and teachers continuing to develop the skills that support everyday learning.

We thank Principal Pinky Yadav, Poonam Ma’am, our teaching team, facilitator Ravindra Yadav and every student who contributed to the occasion. We also appreciate the families who continue to support their children’s education and our school’s journey.

As Ujyalo Yatra Academy moves into its next year, our focus remains on strong foundations, a caring environment, meaningful activities and continued development of our teaching practices. We look forward to building on this first year with our school community in Thera, Dhanusha.