Haryana Launches Baal Sarthi Internship for Students and Volunteers at Anganwadi Centres

Haryana’s college and university students, along with community volunteers, can now step into the world of early childhood education through the state government’s new Baal Sarthi internship programme. Spearheaded by the Women and Child Development Department, the initiative is designed to energise learning and developmental activities at Anganwadi centres across the state. The programme invites students and passionate community members to immerse themselves in early childhood care and education, with a focus on playful learning and hands-on support for Anganwadi workers. Participants will take up internships lasting two to six months, during which they will join Anganwadi workers in their day-to-day work with young children, helping to make the centres livelier places of learning and play. Anganwadi centres are the first classrooms for millions of young children, offering early learning, nutrition support and health monitoring in villages and towns across Haryana. The Baal Sarthi programme aims to strengthen that foundation by bringing in young, enthusiastic interns who can support the workers already running the centres, introduce fresh activity ideas, and spend time engaging children through stories, games, songs and simple learning exercises. For students, the internship offers practical field experience in early childhood education, an area that is gaining importance as the country places greater emphasis on the early years of learning. Working alongside experienced Anganwadi workers, interns will gain first-hand understanding of how young children learn, how centres are run, and how families and communities connect with early education. For community volunteers, it offers a structured way to contribute to their own neighbourhoods and support the children growing up around them. The Women and Child Development Department has published details of the Baal Sarthi ECCE Internship Programme on its official website, wcdhry.gov.in, where interested students and volunteers can find information about the programme. The department describes the initiative as an effort to inspire young minds to nurture young learners, linking the energy of Haryana’s students with the needs of its youngest children. By opening Anganwadi centres to students and volunteers, the programme seeks to give children a richer early learning experience while giving young people meaningful, community-based work experience close to home.