The guiding model for the activities at Mitraniketan is, ‘Community Centered Education in an Education Centered Community and education centered community in a community centered education.’ Mitraniketan has been engaged in rural development activities since its inception in the year 1956. It strives to integrate formal and non formal education in its activities and follows a need based and life oriented concept.
Through its activities the organization works to achieve total development of individual, family and community through a well integrated education system. The institution started its activities with supplementary education programs for the school going children of the neighboring villages. Today it resembles a rural university which still caters to the education and training needs of rural/ tribal children but has expanded to the rural youth, house wives, small and marginal farmers , rural artisans, and NGO functionaries belonging to different parts of Kerala.