Community Renovation and Organisation Advancement Trust (COROAT) is a grassroots non-profit organization based in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, working since 2009 to empower marginalized communities through rights-based and inclusive development. Registered under the Indian Trust Act and compliant with 12AA, 80G, and FCRA, COROAT focuses on creating dignified pathways for women, children, transgender persons, and traditional artisans who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities.
COROAT’s core areas of intervention include education, livelihoods, mental health and well-being, and social inclusion. In education, we work with children of coolie labourers and low-income families to improve foundational learning, STEM engagement, and emotional resilience. Our livelihood initiatives support women and transgender individuals to access skills, start micro-enterprises, and connect with government schemes. COROAT is also one of the few organizations in Tamil Nadu offering trauma-informed care and leadership building for transgender communities.
With a strong presence in over eight districts and deep community trust, COROAT blends compassion with innovation. Whether it is creating banana fiber-based enterprises or integrating social-emotional learning with STEM, we believe in building sustainable change from the ground up — led by the voices and strengths of the communities we serve.

Appeal

SPARK – STEM-based Prompts for Awareness, Resilience, and Knowledge is a creative education initiative by COROAT that integrates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for children from marginalized communities. Implemented in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, the project aims to foster both scientific curiosity and emotional intelligence through hands-on, low-cost, and localized learning experiences.
Over six months, SPARK will engage 500 children (Grades 4–8) from 10 government schools or community centers through 10 structured STEM-SEL sessions. Each session combines interactive science activities with guided SEL prompts on empathy, teamwork, decision-making, and resilience. COROAT has developed a Tamil-language “STEM-in-a-Box” kit and SEL prompt card manual, which will be distributed to each site.
The project will also train 10 local facilitators, ensure regular monitoring, and culminate in a SPARK Showcase Day where children present their learning to the community.
The total budget is ?4,80,000, covering kit preparation, facilitator training, travel, coordination, printing, and event costs. SPARK is designed as a scalable, high-impact model for low-resource settings — offering not just education, but confidence, creativity, and emotional well-being for every child it reaches.