Award Orientation Programme at YES Centre- Cambridge International School Phagwara by Sonal Kapoor-Member, National Training Panel

Cambridge International School, Phagwara conducted IAYP (International Award for Young People) workshop.

With an aim to encourage young people to achieve full growth and to build their confidence, Cambridge International School, Phagwara, conducted a workshop for the teachers. The workshop was conducted by Ms.Sonal Kapoor a member of training panel for IAYP from Delhi. The workshop was attended by teachers of the Cambridge International School Amristsar, Cambridge International School Jalandhar Co-Ed., Cambridge International School for Girls Jalandhar, and Cambridge International School Phagwara.

The workshop was primarily an orientation programme where the teachers were equipped with the working of the IAYP programme in schools. Various activities were conducted during the first session of the workshop related to service and skill section of the award.

Students from Cambridge Phagwara who have already received the Bronze medals for the award shared their experiences with the teachers.

Mr.Harshjot Singh, IIT student, and a silver awardee, also shared his fond memories of the award highlighting its need for today’s youth. A demonstration of adventurous journey was also made during the second half of the workshop.

Mr. Jorawar Singh, Principal Cambridge International School, Phagwara concluded the workshop by stressing the importance of the programme. He told the teachers to motivate more and more students to join the programme stressing the fact that the programme is non competitive and best suited to their interests and talents.

Enc:- Photograph of participants with Principal Mr. Jorawar Singh, Cambridge International School, Phagwara and Ms. Sonal Kapoor, National Award Training Panel Member.

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Sandeep Dutt

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New Delhi - 110049, India

www.sdutt.com

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- Ishita Khanna - Discovering the magic of the Himalayas

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Enjoyed every day of the 33 years!

Yes this is the truth and you have heard right!

After 30 plus years of volunteering and finally three years as National Director for The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award have decided to move on... thank you for the numerous number of phone calls...had to finally put off my phone as it would not stop ringing!!!

These were my golden days. Am most thankful to the IAA, the APF, all the Volunteers, the Friends and partners who have stood by me. Am no more accessible through the email address of the IAYP and you can connect with me on www.sdutt.com please. Will support the alumni network as a volunteer always, so am sure we will be in touch.

Am now happy to be in Delhi & Dehradun and my office in Shahpur Jat remains too, welcome all friends and youthful people :)

With you all always,

Sandeep Dutt

sdutt@me.com

www.sandeepdutt.com

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Sandeep Dutt

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"The Journey" a poem by Satyam Gupta- Bronze Award participant from YES Centre Ansal Institute of Technology, Gurgaon

The Journey

Living in the shades of the dark,
Today on a new journey we embark.
This journey is the first of its kind,
Everyone embarked has some answers to find.
As the sun has already set,
On this path don’t know where we'll get.
But the journey has to continue,
Because no one cares of our view.
We may think that we are right,
But every mile in the journey brings a new fight.
We always have to remain steady,
Come whatever may, be always ready.
Before we started it was all fascination,
But right now it’s a strange sensation.
At one point there was starvation,
Our body and soul needed a filling station.
In the middle of nowhere was a place,
Silence filled every bit of space.
Our entry made that space lively,
A halt here had become very likely.
Once again we were on the move,
Though this time on a different grove.
Many got tired and fell asleep,
While few stayed awake to look into the deep.
Now that its time and we are leaving,
One last line is 'It’s a new beginning'

Satyam Gupta penned the above thoughts during the first phase of the adventurous journey to Rishikesh in April 2012. 

"Adventure creates new and inspiring memories"- a Travelogue by Priyanka Kumari, Bronze Award participant from YES Centre Ansal Institute of Technology, Gurgaon

Adventure creates new and inspiring memories which reminds us that our journey is just the begining. Adventure is not that extreme or dangerous of an experience. On the contrary, it is an attitude that helps us face the obstacles present in our daily routine. The challenges we have to deal with, the new and different options that life offers, the thrill of the unknown always waiting for us; all represent an adventure in itself that we just need to discover ourselves.

I got the wonderful opportunity to discover  myself when I joined as part of my Bronze level, I went to Rishikesh for the adventure trip. It was an enriching experience that left an indelible imprint on my mind. Before boarding the coach, we were given instructions regarding the safety measures and a small first aid session was conducted. In the bus, we all danced and sang till we reached our destination. A 15 minute walk down the hill took us to the foothills of the Shivalik range where the camp Roof N Ride rested in the arms of the nature.

The view of the valley and the small perennial river flowing by the side of the camp was majestic. The camps were so designed that each one of us could enjoy every moment of our stay, be it the camp fire, beach volley, or a quick splash in the stream and then a nice sun tan.

We stayed in the swiss tents. The morning tea along with the chilly winds were quiet enjoyable. The breakfast was really appreciable as they cooked fresh vegetables grown on their farm. They served delicious food in the buffet style.

We all were divided into two groups. I was in the second group which was accompanied by Nivedita ma’am, Sonal mam and kapoor sir. Pratibha ma’am and C.S.Yadav sir accompanied first group. 

The first adventure of my group was rock climbing and rappelling. We were 24 in the second group. We walked through the village led by a guide. The life of the people there was quite simple and serene. Watching the other camps, the green fields and the small stream flowing along the way, we reached our rock climbing spot. There was an aashram named Phoolchatti nearby. Brief introduction of the various equipments was given by Arvind sir. One by one, we all experienced the thrill of hanging by a cliff of 40 feet height. The cheerup done by the whole team was mind blowing. I never felt I was away from my home. In the mean time, we watched the scenic beauty and collected some extraordinary looking seeds. We returned to the camp, had lunch and within few minutes we were at the rafting spot. It was a 16 kms long rafting journey starting from Shivpuri. Imagine freezing water trying to push you off the boat like the bull do to a cowboy. We faced 4 rapids and at a point we were asked to jump off the boats and do the body surfing. My heart skipped a beat when I prepared myself for the cliff jumping. We returned by the evening, shivering in our wet clothes.

       

THRILL OF ROCK CLIMBING AND RAFTING

The camp people had prepared bonfire along with the hot tea and snacks. Everyone felt drowsy and tired but still played antaakshiri and some music till late night. Finally, we slept like dead in our tents till the valley bathed completely in the sun rays.                   

I can not forget the morning tea with the whole gang and then the yoga session. After that, we all set to start for the trek to the waterfall. Along the roads of Mohanchatti, we reached the waterfall.we jumped into the water, splashed it on everyone and played with the falling drops joy in the form of shower. Our journey winded up on a happy note with group photo sessions. During return journey, we stopped at Dhuradhari Aashram and the Ganga ghats at Haridwaar. We offered prayers at the ghat for the whole IAYP gang. Travelling for the whole night with a break at a hotel for snacks and dinner, we reached AIT before the sun rise.

For me, this trip was  not less than any educational trip. I understood the deeper and hidden meaning of an adventure trip. It was not only about travelling, sight seeing and hanging by a rope but it actually taught me to recognize my strengths ,weaknesses and accept myself as a person. It requires intense concentration and focus, which is a great mental workout. Moreover, the touch of nature and it’s beauty can heel any of the wound. Those days without a cell phone, tv and PCs taught me to live with myself. It was the best time for spiritual and emotional discovery.

Three Cheers for IAYP............

Three cheers for the entire team.........

 “HIP HIP HURRAYYYYYYYY.....................” 

Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys Academy shows the way

Rupanjan Goswami shares the experiences of the recent success of visually challenged young boys

The Rama Krishna Mission Blind Boys' Academy (RKMBBA) has been an Award Special Project since 2002. RKMBBA transforms lives of visually challenged young boys. Rupanjan- Award Leader at RKMBBA describes the impact of The Award very candidly, "Life was under dark shadow before The Award came to the boys to them. With IAYP, a new ray of hope entered their lives kick-starting a new journey of self-realisation. Ever since, the young boys have challenged students the ups and downs of their lives boldly, imparting their courage and leadership to their fellow students and proving that they have a place in society in a very different way!" 

The recent success of 19 visually challenged boys from 2nd to 5th May 2012, at their Adventurous Journey in  Panchalingeswar, Orissa, organised by the Institute of Climbers and Nature Lovers (ICNL) was 'empowering' for everyone!

DAY 1- The 5 instructors from ICNL, encouraged the boys to learn the formation of different rocks and mountain and different techniques of free climbing, exploring hand hold, foot hold, etc. They also learnt how to keep body balance on a rock face. 

In the evening session, the theoretical classes taught the boys how to survive in a 'do or die' situation, the symptoms and remedies of mountain sickness. 

DAY 2- The first session was started at 5.10 am with the students going to a huge rock face for rappelling training. It was a fabulous experiences to them. They were not scared to descend from the  high altitudes, in spite of their visual disabilities!  Post breakfast, the session session was a class on knots and equipments.

They learnt all about the different types of knots like end-man knot, bowline knot, clove-hitch knot; in addition to learning about carabiners, figures of eight, different types of ropes and how to pitch a tent. This session proved  to be very informative, the boys were proud to touch and use the equipments because they knew these equipments are used in different expeditions even for Mt. Everest. 

This session was followed by a short trek to  Panchalingeswar Temple. On top of the hill, during the trek, there was a violent thunder storm and we (the instructors) were surprised to see that none of the boys were scared (like they normally are). This is The Power of The Award. Young People learn to overcome their fears, learn new things. 

The day ended with one of the ICNL instructors recounting his Mt. Everest Climbing Experience, where he shared his valuables thought and memorable moments of climbing Everest. 

DAY 3- The next morning, the boys woke up at 0530 hours for an altitude gain session where they climbed around 2000 feet without ropes, on a hill that is a free sanctuary for elephants and bears. The ICNL Instructors showed a few signs left behind by the elephants and bears and the boys enjoyed this tremendously. 

The 2nd session comprised of practical training, where the instructors hung different rope bridges and the students successfully completed their allotted task in time. This followed the 'most interesting training' where they climbed a wall with the help of a Jumar. 

The afternoon session began with a trek of about 5 kilometres to get to a river dam surrounded by hills. On their arrival at the dam, they interacted with the local tribal and shared their love for the nature to them.

The Silver Level Adventure Camp ended with a Gala Camp fire, display of remarkable music skills byt the boys ,recitation, mimicry and even dance.

Watch Venus Transit 2012 with Z-Life Education at their Camp Mustang on 6th June

The event "VENUS TRANSIT 2012"  is for students, parents and teachers on 6th June 2012 at Camp Mustang (50 kms from Delhi).

Organised by the Zlife Astronomy Team; this rare astronomical event, that happens once in 100 years, will occur on 6th June'12, and can be viewed from most of Europe, Eastern Africa, Central Asia (India), and the Middle East.

Venue: Camp Mustang (approx 50 kms from Delhi)

Timings: 05:33 A.M to 10:25 A.M

Executives can learn a lot from mountaineers

Lessons in peak performance

Anand Adhikari and Anusha Subramanian        Edition: May 13, 2012, Business Today

Trekkers at Chamser Kangri (6,620 m) in Ladakh.

I am often asked what relevance climbing mountains has to both business and personal success. It can be distilled down to two concepts, those of challenge and attitude. It is these two things that have shaped much of my life and the lives of not only mountaineers, but also of successful business people.
Mark Inglis, the sole double amputee to climb Mount Everest

Sridhar Iyer, 41, Head of Consumer Credit and Risk Management, HSBC Bank and an avid mountaineer, set out to climb the 6,450-m Mount Menthosa in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh last year. One night in his tent, 5,200 m above sea level, rock-hard ice all around him, the temperature outside a numbing minus 20 degrees Celsius, the zipper of his sleeping bag broke, rendering it useless. With no spare sleeping bags available, Iyer managed all night without one.

SPECIAL: What prompts business leaders to run in marathons 

HSBC's Sridhar Iyer with his teammate at Chamser Kangri

"When you expose yourself to such conditions, your mind learns to cope with continued stress," he says. "Mountaineering teaches how to make decisions in difficult conditions, to perform when things are not normal." He recalls a $10-million (Rs 45 crore) deal he had to handle, which kept him on the edge for days. He says his training in the mountains helped him handle the pressure. "The ability to ensure you are completely on top of the issues that matter comes naturally to a mountaineer."

Agrees Somasekhar Sundaresan, 38, Partner at J. Sagar and Associates, who, since he took up the sport six years ago, has climbed mountains such as Thyangboche (3,867 m) in Nepal, Kilimanjaro (4,280 m) in Tanzania, Kaçkar (3,937 m) in Turkey, and Aconcagua (6,959 m) in Argentina. "If I have learnt to keep my cool in the face of significant stress, I owe it to the conditioning of my mind in the mountains," he says.

ELSEWHERE Simon Murray, former non-executive chairman of Vodafone Plc, and current chairman of Glencore, scaled Mount Everest base camp in 2007 Marc LeBaron, Chairman and CEO of metal care solutions company Lincoln Industries', has climbed a 4,200-m mountain in Colorado John Delaney, Founder and CEO of leading predication market fi rm InTrade, died scaling Mount Everest in May 2011

Krishna Kumar, 40, CEO of digital advertising firm Media2win, made his first climb all alone, having failed to find a team. In 2008, inspired by a newspaper story, he set off on a 12-day, 180-km trek along the frozen river Chadar in the Zanskar valley in Leh, 3,945 m above sea level. "The experience taught me how to tackle risk in whatever I do in life," he says. "Many things went wrong on that trek, communication facilities were near zero; there was no civilisation around for long stretches. But you can survive if you are determined."

Krishna Kumar, CEO, Media2win, with his team at Mentok (6,250 m)

His subsequent trips were as part of teams and he emphasises the lessons in team effort that mountaineering can teach the corporate world. "Each person has a role to play," he says. "As in the mountains, there are no shortcuts in business. You have to work tirelessly to build a sustainable business model." To succeed at climbing mountains also calls for passion - the hardships will turn the weakwilled away - and the same is true for business. Kumar recalls an occasion when his team, competing against biggies in the business for the account of a media and entertainment company, had very little time to prepare its pitch. "The only way we could have done it was by working with a great deal of passion," he says.

The road to Menthosa (6,450 m) is not an easy one

Patience is another key takeaway. "In the mountains, there are times when you have to wait endlessly because of poor weather conditions," says Kapil Ranade, 33, an entrepreneur and expert mountaineer. "Similarly, in business, there arise situations when you have to take a step back or slow down a bit for the benefit of all." Iyer notes that as conditions get tough, patience often runs low in the mountains, leading to friction. "Experience teaches you to get over this response, which helps in work environments too," he says.

Entrepreneur Kapil Ranade on one of his climbing expeditions

Mountaineering alsoteaches not to unwind too early despite initial success. Ramnik Chhabra, 42, Associate Director and Head of Marketing at financial services firm Motilal Oswal, made his first trek - to the Everest base camp - in April 2008 and has been climbing regularly since then. "When you are moving towards the summit, you are usually gung-ho about reaching the peak," he says. "But you are far less motivated when you are descending."

That can be dangerous. "In the same way, a new product launch gets employees very enthusiastic, but they tend to lose motivation once the launch is done," he adds. "Yet you have to work equally hard after the launch to sustain the product."

Mt Everest, the highest peak on Earth

A final, important learning is people management. "You deal with a variety of people in the mountains, from slow learners to intelligent ones, but you have to work with them all, just as you have to in business," says Ranade. In particular the guides, the Sherpas in the Himalayan region, must never be crossed. "You should not have an ego and think you know better than the Sherpas," he adds. "If you get on their wrong side, your expedition is doomed. In business too, you have to make people your friends, treat them fairly, and make them feel that they are important to you."
The article is from the latest issue of Business Today.

The genius of Steve Jobs

The young as appropriately portrayed!

     The Apple poem used to promote the brand in the nascent years. 


Very appropriate for us at IAYP; am sure together with the young, the restless, the energetic, we will re-invent the way the Award brand is delivered and find the best model for growth in the world.

Why IB doesn’t fit into the INDIAN scheme of things?

Why IB (INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE) doesn’t fit into the INDIAN scheme of things? | RLS's Blog

Please note this is not the view of  IAYP or any Gold Holder in India. As many of our Gold Award participants look at IB as an option, we share a blog without any recommendations and thus this disclaimer.


Happy reading.

Earth's change agents

The Asian Age
Sandeep Dutt Message from Sender Thank you our shinning Gold's who make all this possible. Cheers, Sandeep Earth's change agents by editor Shubhda Hirawat, Tan-nistha Bandhopadhyay and Shubham Dhingra are delighted, as all three of them have been awarded the gold level in the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Awards, which is one of the most adaptable and successful youth empowerment programmes in the world. Click here to read more on our site

A year of being a Gold Award Holder!

‘’ I thought the Himachal Pradesh could be a cold place,’’ I remarked as the sun was beating down hard on my face. The driver was taking his own sweet time to drive me down from Bodhisattva to Chandigarh, a full 300 km by road. I was to take the 5:45pm flight from Chandigarh to come to New Delhi. The excitement in me was as strong as the sun’s rays in May. I was dying to reach Delhi. And everything seemed to be stopping me. On reaching the airport, I heard that my flight has been reschedules by two full hours. I mean ‘’comeon, seriously?’’. There couldn’t be a worst day. Oh ! you might be wondering why I was going crazy to come to Delhi. It could be 12^th May, 2011 in just a few hours and in just a few hours from now; I could officially be a Gold Award Holder.

So, here’s how things went. I was to attend a camp with Birla High School, Kolkata. We were to leave from Kolkata on 7^thMay, 2011 and on the same day we had the zonal training workshop. Quickly wrapping up my session on physical recreation, I rushed home to change into my camping gear, picked up my rucksack and left for the station. We went camping to this beautiful place called Bodhisattva. You should go visit the place if you get a chance. The mesmerizing forest, the beautifully preserved ecology, the rushing rivers and tent stay made it an ideal camping ground. Two full days of early morning trek and then an early morning drive to Chandigarh to attend the Award ceremony.

The Gold Award ceremony was this perfectly arranged event. We first had the giving away of the Award by Mr.Vikram Chandra and then the GAHS AGM. All of the 51 people who received their Awards that day, were full of joy and excitement. Things couldn’t get better. The pride and honor can’t be expressed in words. You can feel it only on the day you receive your Gold Award !! Then the pride of being a Gold Holder followed.

In the month of June, I signed up as a volunteer with the Award.  I was happy that I could give back to the Award and NAA could trust me with such a responsibility.

During the coming months, activities followed one another in regular sequence. First a camp to Mandarmani with La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata, then a camp to Sandakphu. In between were training workshops, helping and guiding other Awardees, answering questions of the parents regarding the Award.

Then came the next big opportunity. A chance to attend the International Youth Conference in Israel. This conference was being hosted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Education in collaboration with UNESCO to celebrate the International Year of the Youth. IAYP, India was to send a delegation of four young people to represent India. And I was one of them. I was one of the 150 young people who got an opportunity to have their opinions heard in front of the world.  So, November 20-23, 2011, I was in Israel talking and hearing about leadership and team work. It was a life time opportunity to learn.

Back in India, I have started executing every bit of the knowledge gained in the conference. As it’s said, it’s all about the experience. After all what is life if you stop learning?

Reading about the Award or hearing from seniors, you must have come across that the Award teaches you ‘’time management.’’ I wondered if that was really possibly. Can any self development program teach you all that the Award claims to teach?

The answer is Yes. The Award really does teach you everything in life. Even after all the work throughout the year, I managed to get a first class and stood 5^th in my first year graduation exams. Now I realize that it’s all about setting priorities and wanting to learn.

I always had the urge to learn and evolve as a person. The Award gave me the opportunity and I am glad that I gave the opportunity to the Award to create such an amazing change in my life!

GAHN Workshop, Singapore

GAHN Singapore Workshop Overview

Dates: 16-20th August 2012 (Thurs-Mon)
Venue: National Community Leadership Institute
Requirements: Gold Award holders, 20-34 years, English language proficiency
What is Provided: in-country accommodation, meals, airport transfers
Responsibility of Delegates: arrange/fund flights/travel to Singapore, travel visas

Applications: to be submitted to NAAs by 1st June 2012, contact Programme Manager India Mr. Bivujit Mukhoty by email Bivujit@dofe.in

Applications are requested to be received and reviewed by NAA India and to then submit two nominees to the Asia Pacific Regional Office by 8th June 2012. Final selection acceptance will be determined by the International Secretariat, Programme Team, Regional Office and organisers. This will be confirmed/notified by mid June 2012.

The workshop is open to a total of 38 Gold Award holder representatives. Two places each from Asia Pacific NAAs (and additional three for Asia Pacific IC Youth Reps and Mentor) are offered, along with three places each for the Africa, Americas and Europe Mediterranean & Arab States Regions (including 1 IC Youth Representative each). Any places not able to be taken up by NAAs will be offered to emerging NAAs and/or regional interns.

The GAHN will provide a platform for Gold Award Holders to make a difference through their leadership and contributions in their communities, equip them to become a future resource and role model and foster international engagement. A communique and recommendations from the event will be presented to the Malta Forum 2012.

The support of the NYAA Singapore to host the GAHN workshop is acknowledged with special appreciation.

We look forward to promoting and supporting this important youth engagement initiative.