When we talk about learning, most of us imagine classrooms neatly arranged desks, glowing projectors, tidy whiteboards, maybe even a “proper” computer lab. Even in academic discussions, when we speak of “communities of practice,” we often picture structured groups inside institutions, guided by trained educators and supported by plenty of resources.

But step into the narrow gullies of Mumbai or Pune on a sunny afternoon, and you’ll see something that challenges this picture completely.

There are no desks here.
No Wi-Fi routers.
No projectors humming in the background.
Just a handful of children sitting cross-legged on the street, passing around a phone running Pi Jam Foundation’s Code Mitra app, arguing playfully about which block to drag next.

This is a lab without walls, a space where technology meets curiosity, and where learning unfolds not because someone mandated it, but because someone cared enough to ignite it.

And when you watch closely, you realize something profound:

This is exactly what learning sciences have been talking about for decades.
It just looks different because it’s happening outside the structures we’re used to.

In academic literature, Communities of Practice introduced by Lave and Wenger (1991) and later expanded by Wenger (1998, 2000) describe how people learn:

• not by being instructed,
• but by participating,
• gradually taking on more responsibility,
• and eventually becoming central contributors.

The gullies bring this to life with raw authenticity.

A child comes one day just to watch.
The next week, she tries a puzzle.
Then she explains a loop to her friend.
A month or two later, she’s the one leading the session.

And that’s how it works, those who arrive as learners often grow into mentors who guide the next set of children

No certificate.
No formal training.

Just legitimate peripheral participation happening exactly as Lave & Wenger described.

Except here, it’s infused with jazba, a kind of passion and purpose that doesn’t show up in textbooks but drives the entire ecosystem.

What you see in these sessions illustrates a core idea from learning sciences: Communities of Practice are not created by resources; they emerge from shared purpose.

In the gullies:
Children are not waiting for infrastructure to arrive.
They are not discouraged by the lack of a “proper lab.”
They build a community out of whatever exists streets, stairs, pavements and Pi Jam simply gives them the spark and support to make it thrive.

If a handful of children in a gully can build a thriving learning circle, what could happen if every neighborhood believed it could be a place where knowledge grows?