Operations in Gujarat started in Vadodara in 1999 where Pratham Vadodara developed a model to mainstream out of school children and their subsequent retention support. Today Pratham is running both the Direct programs as well as the Read India campaign across the state.

Direct programs:  The urban program in Gujarat has addressed several community needs and evolved over the years. There are 3 principal phases in Pratham’s Direct programs in Gujarat :
Phase 1: Attendance Regularization and Remedial Support In-Schools.
Phase 2: Universalization of basic literacy and access to pre-school and education net In-Communities.
Phase 3: Higher subject competencies and non-academic development initiatives with non-rote based learning tools through Community Learning Centers (CLC).

Pratham Gujarat has now set up Democratic Learning Centers (DLCs). DLCs are centres in the slums that administer educational activities with the aim of devising a low cost, replicable models of child centred learning. DLCs aim to bring every child in the age group of 6-14 years in the education net and provide them with need based academic support. One DLC is set up between 5-10 bastis (150 to 250 households) as a physical space where the teaching learning activities take place. Children attend classes in different batches with a two hour time period each. The DLC head typically is a woman from the community where the DLCs operate. The DLC is also an attempt to create self-sustainable fee based models which address the educational needs of 6-14 year olds in the community. Each DLC provides pre-school education, libraries, support in basic reading, writing and math competencies for grade one and advanced subject specific support up to grade four.

Read India:  Read India is being implemented in 20 districts through a district level partnership with the State government. In the district of the Dangs and in 4 blocks of the Panchmahals, Read India was launched in partnership with the State tribal dept under the name Chalo Vanchiye

PCVC:  works with working and vulnerable children in Surat, Rajkot, Ahemdabad, Vadodra and Dharampur. The programs include rescue of children form child labour, their repatriation and provision of educational initiatives such as Balwadis and retention support program. Children are also covered under the residential shelter program.

Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights:  Pratham Gujarat is implementing the SRHR project through DLCs in 30 basties with the financial support of OXFAM NOVIB and technical support from WPF (Netherlands). Pratham is following the IM protocol to mainstream HIV/AIDS, gender and sexual health and rights education. The duration for pilot phase of project is for 2 years that spans over January 2007 to March 2009.