Strategi Implementasi Program Sekolah Rakyat dalam Penguatan Keterampilan Sosial : Studi Kasus di Sekolah Rakyat Kabupaten Ponorogo

Educational access disparities for children from low-income families limit the development of social skills essential for participation in society. This study aims to analyze the implementation strategies of the Sekolah Rakyat (People's School) program in strengthening students’ social skills at Sekolah Rakyat in Ponorogo Regency. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach with an embedded single-case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation. Data analysis was conducted using the Miles and Huberman interactive model, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that the Sekolah Rakyat program, as a dormitory-based affirmative education program, creates a supportive environment for the internalization of social values through five implementation strategies: deep learning, contextual learning, entrepreneurship activities, collaborative learning, and dormitory habituation. These strategies enhance students’ communication, collaboration, empathy, and responsibility. The study concludes that the integrated implementation of the Sekolah Rakyat program effectively strengthens students’ social skills. This research contributes to the literature on the implementation strategies of the Sekolah Rakyat program in enhancing social skills and offers practical implications for the development of Sekolah Rakyat programs.