The Award Ceremony: The Acknowledgement of Countless Efforts

When one puts one’s heart and soul into what one desires to achieve, it is not merely the end result that ought to be celebrated but the journey, as a whole, that needs to be cherished. The IAYP Award Ceremony took place on 8th March, 2019 at the Lawrence School, Lovedale, Ooty, marking a moment of pride in IAYP’s work and goals.

The charm of the event was enhanced by the presence of Ms. Sue Walker, Asia Pacific’s Regional Director of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. The team from NAA comprised Mr. Kapil Bhalla, the National Director, and Mr. Bivujit Mukhoty, the Programme Manager. Among the other guests were Mr. K Prabhakaran Nair, Headmaster, Lawrence School, Lovedale, Mr. N. Rajan, Deputy Headmaster, Lawrence School, Lovedale, Col. (Rtd.) Sudhakar Babu Thota, Bursar, Lawrence School, Lovedale, Ms. Deborah Waller, Principal, Hebron School, Mr. Gary Everett, Principal, The Laidlaw Memorial School & Junior College, and the Award Leaders of Hebron School. We are grateful to Mr. S.S. Sorna Kumar, The Vikasa School, Tuticorin, Mr. K.V. Muraleedharan, Good Shepherd International School, and Mr. Kuldeep Singh, Award Leader, Lawrence School, Lovedale.

The event commenced with a welcome address by Mr. Bhalla, followed by an enchanting classical Bharatanatyam dance performance by the awardees of Lawrence School. The awardees welcomed the Chief Guest, post which the felicitation ceremony began. Participants from The Vikasa School, Tuticorin and the Laidlaw Memorial School and Junior College received 54 Bronze Awards; Good Shepherd International School and the Lawrence School, Lovedale were conferred with 39 Silver Awards, while 29 Participants from the Lawrence School received their Gold Awards. It was a moment of gratification for both the awardees and their schools alike. Following this, Ms.

Sue Walker addressed the gathering, after which Mr. Kapil Bhalla presented a memento to the Headmaster of the Lawrence School. The ceremony ended with lunch for the guests.

Events like these acknowledge the efforts of both the IAYP and the institutions it has collaborated with in building an environment which recognizes the achievement and development of young people. The participants gain the confidence to become committed young adults and channelize their aspirations to achieve something big and to bring about positive changes in their environment. The Award Ceremony is yet another milestone moment in IAYP’s stride that acknowledges the dreams of young people and their efforts to realize them. Click here for more pictures

Award Orientations for Students

In its stride to provide opportunities for the youth as well as the growth of a community and to charge young minds with passion, student orientation workshops were conducted by Bivujit Mukhoty, the Programme Manager, at Global City International School, Bangalore, on 5th March 2019 and Indus International School, Bangalore on 6th March 2019. The objective was to interact with students, introduce the Award programme to the new participants and highlight its ideology and benefits.

The orientations commenced with a Q&A session where students shared their view about their future goals. The Programme Manager explained how the Award Programme helps them to achieve their goals. This session was followed by an introduction to the Award Programme. The team threw light on the philosophy of the Award, its journey and its framework. They elaborated upon its various facets that include Voluntary Service, Skills, Physical Recreation, Adventurous Journey and Gold Residential Project for the Gold level of the Programme. The orientations concluded with discussions on the benefits of the Award Programme and its power to bring about a difference in the lives of young people.

The orientation at Global City International School, Bangalore was attended by over 120 students, while the orientation at Indus International School, Bangalore was attended by over 110 students.

Regional Director Asia Pacific Visiting India

IAYP India welcomed Sue Walker, Regional Director, Asia Pacific Region to India. During her visit, Sue met with Himmat Kalsia (Trustee Chairman, APF) and Dr Sanat Kaul (Managing Trustee, APF) in Delhi. Kapil Bhalla and Sue Walker also met with Ruchira Ghosh, Regional Director, South Asia, from global partner Cambridge Assessment International Education at Mumbai. Sue and Kapil also visited Global Pathways Matriculation Higher Secondary School (Coimbatore) with Duke of Edinburgh International Award Foundation World Fellows, Mike Steele & Stacey Coote from the Steele Family Foundation and discussed further possibilities to collaborate with IAYP India. On 8th, Sue Walker attended an Award Presentation Ceremony at the Lawrence School, Lovedale, Ooty and presented Awards to successful achievers.

Thank you, Sue, for your visit and guidance.  Click here for more pictures

We have learnt to think independently

The Award participants of Sanjay Ghodawat International School, Kolhapur, visited the Narveli Caves and nearby villages for their Adventurous Journey section. Mr Sasi Krishnan, an Award Leader from SGI School, narrates the experience of the trip, highlighting insights that the participants gained, both about their surroundings as well as themselves.

Sanjay Ghodavat International School aspires to nurture each child as a skilled personality. Here, we lay equal emphasis on academics and activities like field trips, trekking, bird-watching, nature walks and adventure camps. These outdoor activities are organized at regular intervals to provide the students with opportunities for experiential learning.

As part of IAYP’s Adventurous Journey section, a camp was organized for two days and a night for Bronze participants, three days and two nights for Silver participants, and four days and three nights for Gold participants. The participants, accompanied by nine members of the teaching staff and four attenders, journeyed to the Narveli caves and temple, a reserved forest area, Brobet village and Gaganbawda, around 85 km away from the school. The journey was operated by an adventure team ‘Kolhapur Hikers’, assisted by IAYP Award Leaders Mr Venkat and Mr Dushyanth.

The participants were pumped up to commence the journey on 23rd November 2018. The team carried all the necessary items like rice, vegetables, flour, spices, utensils, lights, sound systems, etc. After reaching our planned destination at 11:30 in the morning, the participants cleaned the area and set up 27 tents. Having been divided into eleven groups, the participants, along with the staff, trekked towards the Narveli caves. The trekking distance was about 8 kilometres up and down and we returned at 7:30 p.m. At around 9:00 p.m. we lit the bonfire, which was followed by playing games, singing songs, narrating stories and dancing. Our Director Principal was kind enough to join us on our Adventurous Journey on that day. The next day commenced with the participants preparing for another trek. During the trek, the participants engaged in a multitude of activities like bird-watching, discovering rare plants, peacock feather collection, etc. Post lunch, games like the treasure hunt, essay writing and sketching were organized. The journey concluded at 4:00 p.m. and the Bronze Award participants prepared for their return, while the other participants stayed back.

The journey was a life-changing experience for most participants. They have learnt teamwork, independent thinking, creativity, and dignity of labour. Most importantly, they have emboldened themselves, learning to take on the challenges of life with indomitable courage. Click here for more pictures