This year a Canyon Crest Academy student created the Eklipse Education, a nonprofit that brings students from multiple schools together to support underserved children in India. So far, Eklipse has raised over $3,000 to improve the learning experience for students at Manav Sadhna, a community center outside of Ahmedabad, India.
With Eklipse, over 40 student volunteers across seven San Diego schools and one in the Bay Area, work together to develop curriculum, raise funds and advocate to ensure every child has access to education and the opportunity to unlock their potential.
CCA senior Isha Popat founded Eklipse with the mission of providing all kids the same opportunities she has had, regardless of their backgrounds. Her efforts were inspired by her experience volunteering at Manav Sadhna for two weeks.
“Eklipse was born from a single moment that changed me,” said Isha in a news release. “When I met children learning under a railroad bridge, their determination moved something in me that I could never put back. They had so little, yet they gave so much: joy, love, curiosity, hope. I knew I had to build something worthy of their spirit. Eklipse is our promise to them: that their dreams are seen, valued, and supported.”
Eklipse now includes San Diego chapters at CCA, Del Norte, Westview, Rancho Bernardo, Bishop’s, Scripps Ranch and La Jolla Country Day. A dedicated leadership board includes Isha as chief executive officer, CCA junior Aadi Jariwala as director of finance and outreach and chief operating officer, Del Norte sophomore Saatvic Mahesh as the director of web and design and chief technology officer, and Dominique Chevalier, director of curriculum development. Chevalier, a recent graduate from the Lycée International de Saint Germain-en-Laye in France, met Isha during her volunteer work in India.
According to the news release, student volunteers produce videos, write stories, translate lessons and teach foundational material intended to help children build confidence in reading, writing, numeracy and essential life skills such as financial literacy. The students teach video lessons in Gujarati.
The organization also leads HHER (Hope, Hygiene, Education, and Recreation), a program that provides everything from hygiene awareness and sanitation programs to recreation initiatives influenced by traditional Indian games like Kabaddi.
Since its founding, Eklipse has also partnered with community groups to expand its impact, including Hindu Americans of San Diego, Traditional Arts and Learning Association (TALA), and Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego (IFAASD).
At the IFAASD Youth Festival, Eklipse and TALA raised over $1,000 for new classroom technology and essential resources at Manav Sadhna. The Gujarati Association of San Diego Pani Puri Stand, led entirely by student volunteers, brought together families and community members for a cultural event that raised more than $400 in a single afternoon. Eklipse also launched a new partnership with Speakology AI, expanding into public speaking and language workshops offerings.
“I have firsthand noticed the impact that we at Eklipse Education have on the children we help, realizing that even the smallest act of love, help and service can change the entire trajectory of a child’s future,” said Saatvic in the news release. “We at Eklipse Education hope to continue to cultivate our initiatives and help inspire more and more student volunteers with our mission in order to build ladders for the maximum number of kids, and give them the opportunities, equity, and fighting chance that everyone deserves in life.”
To learn more about the students’ efforts, visit eklipseeducation.org.