OILF, Rangeet Expand SEEK Curriculum to 180 Schools Across Mumbai

The OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation (OILF) and education social enterprise Rangeet are expanding their Improving Schools with SEEK initiative to 180 schools across Mumbai during the 2026–27 academic year. The programme aims to strengthen students’ social-emotional development, environmental awareness and practical life skills through classroom-based activities.

The initiative, supported by Nirlon Ltd. and OmniActive Health Technologies, builds on the organisations’ partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). It will extend the Social Emotional & Ecological Knowledge (SEEK) curriculum to more than 131 BMC schools affiliated with the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) board across 13 municipal wards, alongside existing coverage of BMC CBSE schools and 30 private-aided schools.

According to the announcement dated October 16, the expansion marks another phase of the partnership, which introduced SEEK in BMC schools in 2025. The programme complements conventional classroom teaching by helping children develop skills that can support their personal growth, relationships and participation in society.

SEEK Curriculum Focuses on Life Skills and Holistic Education

The SEEK curriculum is designed to help children develop empathy, confidence, critical thinking, wellbeing, digital citizenship and ecological responsibility. It uses stories, games, songs, creative exercises and practical activities to make these concepts accessible to students.

Teachers can integrate the curriculum into subjects such as languages, science, social studies and environmental studies. The approach aims to connect classroom learning with everyday situations rather than treating life skills as separate from academic education.

Rangeet's existing work in Maharashtra also highlights the use of activity-based learning to develop communication, collaboration, resilience and environmental awareness among schoolchildren.

BMC Reports Positive Classroom Response

Dr Prachi Jambhekar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Education) at BMC, said the programme had received a positive response from teachers and students. She highlighted its practical delivery model, which uses municipal schoolteachers and does not require children to use digital devices directly.

According to Jambhekar, the curriculum fits into the regular school timetable and supports the civic body's efforts to provide more holistic education to children from diverse communities.

The partnership's expansion also reflects the importance of equipping teachers with resources that make classroom participation more engaging and help students connect lessons with real-life experiences.

Teachers Highlight Interactive Learning

Educators involved in the initiative have reported that the curriculum offers opportunities to teach foundational skills through activities and practical examples.

Bhima Shankar Shahane of Vile Parle English MPS said the Rangeet application could support interactive communication among children while helping teachers introduce environmental science concepts.

Ankita Shirke, also from Vile Parle English MPS, highlighted the importance of foundational skills that may not always receive sufficient attention in conventional textbook-based teaching. She said the SEEK curriculum helps teachers explain why these skills matter and how children can use them.

Kavita Gupta of MPS CBSE Ashish Talao described Rangeet's learning resources as creative and engaging, noting their role in encouraging teamwork, communication and connections between classroom concepts and everyday life.

OILF Emphasises the Need for Future-Ready Education

Rushva Parihar, Head of the OmniActive Improving Lives Foundation, said educational progress should be assessed not only through enrolment, attendance and academic performance, but also through children's ability to express themselves, understand others and make sound decisions.

Parihar described the expansion to 180 schools as an important milestone, while emphasising that long-term success would depend on making social-emotional and ecological learning a sustained part of children's education.

Simran Mulchandani, CEO and co-founder of Rangeet, also highlighted the role of teacher engagement and collaboration in the programme's expansion. She acknowledged BMC's support and the contribution of corporate partners Nirlon Ltd. and OmniActive Health Technologies.

Alignment With NEP 2020 and NCF 2023

The SEEK curriculum is described by the programme's organisers as aligned with India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023. Its learning themes include wellbeing, social equity, environmental sustainability and digital citizenship.

The initiative's initial rollout in BMC schools included activities at BMC Malvani Township School, where students explored empathy, resilience and ecological responsibility through stories, songs and games.

With the expansion, OILF and Rangeet aim to embed these skills more widely into school education across Mumbai. The programme's longer-term impact will depend on its continued implementation, teacher participation and evidence of improvements in students' learning and development.