District-wide pilot focuses on grade-level reading, the foundation of all future learning
Mumbai: Society Tea announced The Blue Bench Project, a pioneering literacy initiative in partnership with School Chameleons and with the support of the Primary Education Department, Zilla Parishad Sangli, to ensure every child in Sangli can read at the level expected for their grade.
This pilot program directly addresses the crisis of foundational literacy. Millions of children around the world leave school without learning basic reading skills. In India, research indicates that many Grade 3 students struggle to read Grade 1 text fluently. Students who do not have early reading and comprehension skills suffer as curriculum complexity grows, not because they lack ability, but because they lack the foundation for all future learning.
The Blue Bench Project takes a practical, school-first approach to closing this gap. By equipping teachers, creating dedicated reading spaces and recognising innovation, the program aims to make Sangli a model district for age-appropriate reading.
What the Project Delivers :-
The pilot program in Sangli delivers three interconnected outcomes:
• Teacher Capacity at Scale: The project trains over 500 teachers to assess reading levels, identify skill gaps, and apply targeted strategies that help every child reach grade-level standards. Teachers learn how to include small-group reading sessions, rapid comprehension tests, and high-frequency reading tasks in their daily lesson plans.
• Reading Spaces with the Blue Bench: The Ratnanidhi Trust will supply age-appropriate books for 100 schools to create dedicated Blue Bench reading nooks. These spaces will act as visible, accessible hubs that encourage voluntary reading among students.
• Celebrating Teacher Innovation: The Blue Bench Utsav will run across 100+ schools to celebrate teachers who successfully foster a reading culture. The initiative will recognise 25 exceptional teacher stories, with the top five schools receiving specially designed Society Tea Blue Benches as permanent symbols of their commitment to literacy.
“Tea for Teachers” Workshops :-
Society Tea in collaboration with School Chameleons has designed the Tea for Teachers workshops to help educators apply reading interventions effectively. These interactive sessions train teachers to incorporate grade-level reading into everyday lessons using practical, engaging methods. Workshops will cover quick diagnostic tools, peer-reading models, and ways to use playful, repetitive routines to build fluency.
The training goes beyond theory. Teachers will practice tactics in the workshop, prepare for rapid implementation, and provide feedback. This hands-on approach ensures that learning has a direct impact on the classroom. The workshops also connect with Society Tea's larger objective of increasing teacher capacity, which is one of the most consistent drivers of long-term educational development.
Measuring Impact :-
The program will track progress through measurable, classroom-based indicators:
• Establishing Daily Routines: In schools, students should read for 15 minutes every day, do paired reading exercises and take fast comprehension tests.
• Documenting Stories of Change: Collecting teacher-led innovations to inspire replication in other schools. These stories will capture both measurable outcomes and qualitative shifts in student engagement and confidence.
This two-pronged approach makes sure that the effort not only counts results but also sees the more significant changes that numbers can overlook.
Voices from the Initiative :-
Ms. Trupti Dhodmise (IAS), CEO, Zilla Parishad Sangli: “If a child cannot read at grade level, they will struggle to understand every subject that follows. The Blue Bench Project addresses this at the root, and I am proud that Sangli is the first district to lead the way. As Chief Education Officer, I endeavour to make Sangli a model district for education, strengthening systems and delivery in every school. Training teachers and ensuring application of that training is key to creating a positive impact for children.”
Mr. Manoj Jadhav, Additional CEO, Zilla Parishad Sangli: “Age-appropriate reading is essential to the development of young minds. In Sangli, we are enabling schools and stakeholders to implement integrated systems. The Blue Bench initiative is a meaningful step forward.”
Mr. Karan Shah, Director, Society Tea: “We intend to take this pan-India, beginning with Sangli, and the education department’s full support. We believe in building capacity through the shared learnings of our ‘gurus’. The Blue Bench is one of our long-term action pillars, a strong, sustainable program that honours teachers and strengthens the future.”
Ms. Seema Sood, Co-Founder, School Chameleons: “Our aim is simple: give teachers the tools to close reading gaps early. When children read at the right level In their class, students don’t just pass exams; they build confidence for life. We also study impact through real stories of change. Many powerful shifts never show up in statistics; we’re committed to documenting these stories to inspire localised action aligned to the UN SDGs.”
A Statewide Vision :-
Following the Sangli pilot, Society Tea and School Chameleons plan a phased rollout across Maharashtra. The goal is to create a network of teacher-led reading champions who can maintain and expand age-appropriate literacy practices in every district.
The program's goal is to make sure that no child in Maharashtra lags behind in reading and understanding by creating local leadership and using tactics that have worked before. Other states will be able to use this scalable strategy as a model.
About Society Tea :-
Founded by Amarshi Bhurabhai Shah in 1915, Society Tea has been a cornerstone of India’s tea industry for over a century. From Amarshi’s humble beginnings as a stowaway to Africa to establishing “Hiralal Pranjivandas” in Bombay’s Masjid Bunder, his dedication to quality created a legacy that endures as the sole survivor from that era. In 1933, Hasmukhrai & Co. joined this tea dynasty, now carried forward by the fourth generation of Shahs. Evolving from loose tea trading to launching its packaged tea brand in 1990, Society Tea pioneered innovations like Triple Laminated Foil base packing and Pet Jars, while maintaining its hallmark of consistent taste, liquor, and colour—achieved through Amarshi’s personal engagement with vendors to blend teas to customer preferences. Today, with a dominant share in Maharashtra’s packaged tea market, Society Tea continues to adapt to changing consumption habits, offering a diverse portfolio including Instant Tea, always attuned to regional tastes and market trends, and committed to delivering the finest tea experiences in India and beyond.
About School Chameleons :-
School Chameleons is a social-impact initiative working with 5,000+ schools across India to turn classroom values into real-world action. The team designs programs that build empathy, leadership, and sustainability aligned to the UN SDGs, and documents replicable stories of change. Recent collaborations include Hyundai (Samarth), NDTV/Times Network, Hamleys, and Aadyam (Aditya Birla Group). Flagship initiatives such as the School Chameleon Program, The Kindness Mela, the Katha Carnival, and The Blue Bench Project advance age-appropriate reading and teacher capacity.
Co-founded by Sudipta Dhruva, Dr. Amrita Rajpal, and Seema Sood, School Chameleons blends program design, pedagogy, and brand/community engagement to scale meaningful change in schools.
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