Blanket Donation Programme

Sidhartha Sen Gupta, Award Leader from Miles Bronson Residential School, Guwahati, Assam shares a report on the blanket donation programme by the Award participants of the school.

“Service to man is service to God!” With the advent of winter when early mist and cold slow our daily activities, there are many under-priveleged people who are at the mercy of all under the open sky! Nature responds to the cold and even the birds look for warmth and shelter.

Amidst this cold, when we prioritise our responsibilities towards the people around us, we also fulfill our life’s mission. This is the opportunity that IAYP participants get by their involvement in different activities. As IAYP is a life-enriching programme, we feel fortunate that on 11th December 2016 Sunday, we organised a ‘Blanket Donation Programme’ for the roadside dwellers of our city. It’s heartening to mention the response was hundred percent, with the presence of non-IAYP students and teachers too. And our next venture is to ensure the distribution of the collection in coming days.

This act of kindness will not only bring smiles to their faces but will also spread awareness about our responsibilities. “We may not eradicate the poverty of the whole nation, but if we take pledge to help at least one in our community; that’s great and thus we spread Humanity.”

Ankit articulating importance of skills & his experience

When I was in class 10th, I got to know about The Award Programme through my School. I didn’t really know the importance of it back then, which I realized it later on as I completed my programme. I have learned a lot of things including teamwork, learning attitude, leadership, planning and organizing from the Programme.  It’s an amazing opportunity to develop soft skills as well as social skills which are one of the topmost requirements in the job market today.

The skills which I have gained while pursuing the programme shaped me a lot as a person. Not only that, but the Award adds a weightage in your CV by highlighting that you are capable of working in out of your comfort zone. As someone, who is currently running a skill development organization based out of Delhi, I very well understand the importance of skills and how it plays a big role in the selection of right candidates for organizations in today’s time. 

I think simply working in teams and a goal orientation prepares you for the real world in a big way and a lot of what the Award does involves the two. I have travelled a lot because of and for the Award. From villages in Haryana, conferences in Malta to International Gold Event in Seoul, every experience and every person I’ve met helped me form opinions and learn more about different cultures.  A lot of our formal education curriculum is missing some key skills and qualities that young people need to develop. The Award is a fun and comprehensive tool to get all of these opportunities in one place.  - Ankit Durga, Co-Founder, LEAP Skills Academy.

#'DofESkillsforWork #IAYPskillsforwork #skillstopaythebills #IAYPIndia #AwardIndia

Deepest condolences on the passing of Rajan Ray, Trustee Award Programme Foundation

Mr. Rajan Ray, Trustee Member, Award Programme Foundation, passed away on 10th September, 2016.

Mr. Ray was a retired banker who held senior positions in India and overseas. He started his career with National & Grindlays Bank in 1968 and worked with them for a total of 20 years; ABN Amro Bank NV for 11 years; EODC (Asia) Ltd for 3 years and lastly Standard Chartered Bank for 2 years before retiring in 2003 after serving more then 35 years of his tenure. He was currently a non-executive director of a few companies in India and overseas. Mr. Ray joined the Award family in 2015 as member Trusteed with Award Programme Foundation.

On behalf of the IAYP, we convey our deepest condolences to the bereaved family of the departed soul Mr. Rajan Ray.

IAYP Orientation Programmes and Introduction

Bivujit Mukhoty, Programme Manager, delivered a Student Orientation Programme on 2nd September, 2016 at Sir Padampat Singhania Education Centre, Kanpur. This orientation was attended by 40 Award aspirants along with the Award Leaders of the school. Mr. Virinder Singh Moudgill, Principal, also attended the orientation programme.

On 23rd September 2016, the Programme team delivered a One-day Award Leader Training Workshop to 28 participants of Vidhyashram International School, Jodhpur. The Programme Manager shared details about the four sections of the Award along with the framework and philosophy. The training was concluded by awarding the training certificates to the participants by Dr. Bharti Swami, Principal. On 24 Sep 2016, Bivujit Mukhoty visited Bodhi International School, Jodhpur and met with Jay Sharma (Principal) and introduced the Award Programme to the school.

On 26th September 2016, the Programme team visited Maxfort School, Dwarka, Delhi and The Indian Heights School, Dwarka, Delhi and delivered an Orientation Programme to Teachers and Students.

I have Witnessed a Transformational Experience

Sukanya Khan, Award Leader from Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai sharing an inspiring experience with an Award Participant.

My profession as a high school Physics teacher requires me to spend about one-third of each day with teenagers. While the process of nurturing curious young minds is intellectually very stimulating and gratifying beyond words, there have been times when looking through the one-dimensional lens of academic performance, I have felt inadequate in my understanding of a child whose world extends way beyond the confines of the classroom. So when, five years ago, the responsibility of coordinating the IAYP at my school was handed over to me, I knew that a new chapter had begun in my journey as an educator.

I had been closely associated with a number of service initiatives even before my association with IAYP began and working closely with cancer patients and their caregivers was one of them. Every week I would accompany a handful of students to the facility in the neighborhood where the volunteers would chat with the adults, play with the children and generally try and engage them with activities that would take their minds off from their illness, albeit for a brief period. In my first year as the coordinator, I witnessed a transformational experience there. A student named Aman joined this group of volunteers and after his first visit, requested me to shift him to a different service activity. He said that the sight of the patients, many of whom were amputee children, with their shaven heads was too depressing for him. His friends and my colleagues weren’t surprised by his reaction and they told me that Aman possessed neither the sensitivity nor the empathy and level of commitment required for a service activity of that kind and it was likely that the reason for his initial interest was the fact that the facility was close to his residence. I found out that in addition to being at the bottom of the pile in academics, sports and co-curricular activities, he had gotten into trouble in the past due to his irresponsible behavior. I was also made privy to the information that he had been advised to meet the counselor.

I cannot remember the reasons for my judgment on the basis of which I sat him down and requested him to visit the facility just once more with me. Once we were in the facility, I stayed next to him all the time, gently asking him to speak to the children in the local language and make an effort to make friends with them. As the afternoon came to an end, I found myself at the corner of the room opposite to where Aman was. While he was teaching Bollywood dance steps to a four year old, my eyes were welling up with pride.

Aman turned out to be the most dedicated student towards service in his entire batch. It was his idea and initiative to engage with care givers and patients in painting diyas and making greeting cards and gift pouches. The funds raised from selling those were used for purchasing sewing machines and utensils. Aman ran extensive and aggressive campaigns that in addition to cash donations, led to two computers being donated to the facility. He was one of the volunteers who taught computer skills to the inmates after school hours. Last but not the least, his painting on canvas, depicting the varied hues of life, was auctioned at the school fete and raised two lakh rupees for the patients.

It might sound like a fairy tale, but it is true that Aman’s experience at the facility through the IAYP Programme gave him the confidence that he had never experienced before. His grades began to improve and his inner turmoil found a beautiful outlet through his paintings.

Introducing IAYP at Sankalp Sahodaya South-West Delhi

Kapil Bhalla (National Director) and Priyank Kumar Gupta (Head IT and ORB) met the members of Sankalp Sahodaya South-West Delhi on 16th September 2016 at Nirmal Bhartia School, Dwarka. The aim was to introduce the Award Programme to member schools.

Sahodaya, conceptualized by CBSE in 1986, has materialized in the form of Sankalp Sahodaya South-West Delhi in May 2007. The Sahodaya has 27 member schools. Kapil Bhalla briefed the participants about the philosophy, framework, benefits and various sections of the Award to the attending principals.

Ms. Sheelu Mathew, Principal, St. Mary's School, Dwarka added the self-discovery experiences of the students who are actively involved with the Award Programme and how those experiences benefit their institution building and its growth. This orientation was one of the major steps taken in the direction of the growth and expansion strategy of the Award where all the distinguished heads, decision makers and principals of the schools were involved. The IAYP team, in days to come, look forward to initiating and organising many such orientation meeting with heads and principals of schools. Click here for more pics

Culture and Diversity Study Camp

Mustafa Mokashi, an Award participant from Sanganabasava International Residential School, Vijaypur, attended a Culture and Diversity Study Camp at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala. The purpose of this study camp was to interact with the tribal people of the area and to know about their culture and their lifestyle. Here is what Mustafa learnt and explored.

I can never forget my IAYP Adventurous Journey at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala which was conducted from 1st to 6th of November 2015. This journey was one of its kind and taught me how to learn, explore and connect with nature and how to understand people, their culture, and their ways of living. My understanding of the world has changed now, thanks to the IAYP adventure section of the Award and thanks to my school for giving me this opportunity to experience learning outside my class.

This Culture and Diversity Camp was of six days and on the first two days, we got the opportunity to stay on a farm in the middle of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and then interact with the nearby villagers of the Adiyalar tribe. This experience was new to all of us, something we had never witnessed before. After the forest walk of the first day, on the second day we proceeded to the Bamboo village in South Wayanad. We stayed there in the homes of our new friends -- the tribal villagers. We interacted with them and leant about their food, culture and habits. Post lunch, we were all guided by the villagers to the bamboo groves and bamboo based village industries run by communities. Here we saw how different sorts of handicrafts, building materials and utensils could be made from bamboo; these villagers were our new teachers. When we saw all these, our textbooks seemed to come alive in front of us. We were further guided through different sorts of spice groves, paddy fields etc., and exploring traditional irrigation system called ‘Keni’ practiced by local tribes. In the evening we visited the Adiyar tribal colony and shared our experience of agricultural labours.

Next morning our group visited Edackal cave arts – the biggest petroglyphs in India, which belonged to the Neolithic culture, followed by visit to a tribal medium and a trek to Chembra mountain peak. We also visited Soochipara waterfalls. It was a good experience for the city dwellers to experience silence in nature. That night was campfire night, which we all greatly enjoyed. So much had happened and there was so much to look forward in the next three days.

On the fourth day, we started our visit to Thirunelli in West Wayanad inside Tholpetty forest through Banasura Dam. From here, we all visited the nearby tribal village and their farms. After the post lunch session, we visited Pazhasiraja tomb. The night was to be spent at the camp Thirunelli. The day was full of activities including exploring Thirunelli forest, Kurichiya tribal village, their traditional farms, Thirunelli temple and Bhramagiri Mountain. 

Next day we headed towards Thirunelli with Kurichiya, Adiyar and Kurumba tribal communities to explore their culture, cuisine and did some volunteer cleaning work. Last day after a small jungle safari the participants returned back to Mysore.

This exploration journey helped all of us to learn a lot about the tribes, which included study about their cooking, medicines and real-life experience. We also got the rare experience to watch and explore the tree houses too. We were shown how the villager’s kept their environment clean and they did it by collecting plastics from the forest floor in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. There were demonstration workshops on traditional arts which helped us understand the same. The most amazing part of the study tour was to the insight we gained into the lives of tribal groups and family, interactions with the tribals about their experience and life stories, learning traditional cooking, painting etc.

In a nutshell, this IAYP journey turned out to be the most memorable and rewarding experience for me so far. Click for the pictures

Annual Sports Meet at The Sagar School, Alwar

The Sagar School, Alwar organised a two-day Annual Sports meet from 10th - 11th of October 2015. The meet was inaugurated by Mr. Shiva Keshavan, Asian Cup Gold medalist, five time Olympian and the first Indian representative to compete in Luge at the Winter Olympic Games. Also presiding was Ms Jayshree Balasaria, Principal, The Sagar School, Alwar. All Award participants from the school participated in the event to exhibit their strength in Physical Recreation. The main attraction of the event was the Military band, which exhibited a perfect ceremonial start. 

Besides The Sagar School (Alwar), Suncity World School (Gurgaon), Delhi Public School (Sushant Lok), Bal Bharti Public School (Manesar), Salwan Public School (Gurgaon), Colonel Central Academy School (Gurgaon), Aravali Public School (Ferozpur Jhirka), St. Xavier School (Bhiwadi), St. Anselms School ( Alwar), V. L. Memorial Public School ( Alwar), Alwar Public School ( Alwar) and Sunhill Academy Senior Secondary School (Kishangarh) participated in the Inter School Basketball matches and Triathlon Championship.

In both U-16 Boys and Girls - Basketball matches, St. Anslems from Alwar clinched the Gold while The Sagar School claimed the second position. Bhupendra from St. Anslems was declared as the player of the tournament in the U-16 Boys category while Miji Jung from The Sagar School bagged the player of the tournament title in the U-16 Girls category. In the U-16 Boys, Triathlon Championship, P. Ashutosh from Salwan Public School, Gurgaon bagged the first position while the second and third positions were claimed by Raghav Dhiman and Emmanual D’souza from The Sagar School. In the U -16 Girls category Sia Prathambir and Manya Gupta from Suncity World School, Gurgaon claimed the first and second positions while the third position was claimed by P. Shivani from Salwan Public School.  Click for pictures

"The Keyboard Sir"

Abhijay Malviya, Bronze Award holder from The British School, New Delhi is sharing his transforming experience. My name is Abhijay and I’m from the British School, New Delhi. The Award Programme has dramatically changed my personality in many ways. During my Bronze Award journey I continued learning the piano and passed with a merit in my Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) exam. I played basketball three times a week and participated in the academy level tournament. Moreover, I went on an Adventurous Journey to Southern India, where I cycled long distances and participated in many activities, such as rappelling to name a few. However, the most transforming experience was at a school for the underprivileged children at Saksham Bal Vikas, an NGO in Gurgaon. The parents of the students in the school are mostly workers and street stall owners, who don’t have the money to send their wards to school. I believe that the under privileged in the country need to be educated so that India can grow as a modern nation, and institutions like this should be set up everywhere. What I learnt from interacting with these children is that they are extremely optimistic with big ideas, but did not have the available opportunities to follow their ideas before joining school. Since this school was already teaching academics, I decided to show them another side to the coin, the side they had great desire for and where they could really express their creativity: Music. On the first day, they were very excited to see my keyboard. To cope with the excitement I taught them the basics of composition, a move which would not have been the best at an early stage but I couldn't take the risk of boring them with some theoretical knowledge! They even started calling me ‘Keyboard Sir’. Overall their happiness along with the driving determination for success really made me reflect on my own life, and if I have to take away one learning experience from this, it would be to appreciate what’s given and stay focused to capitalize on opportunities. Click for pictures

My first 'Trek' of life with IAYP

The National Award Authority organised an Adventurous Journey camp for the Bronze and Silver Level under Gender Diversity & Empowerment Project at Bisindha, West Bengal from 6th - 10 January 2016, with the support of experienced instructors from Institute of Climbers and Nature Lovers, Kolkata. Nidhi Raj Chatterjee, Bronze awardee -- one of the sixty-four participants -- describes her first ever exposure to adventure.

My name is Nidhi Raj Chatterjee and I'm a Bronze awardee of International Award for Young People. I recently had my first experience of Trekking with the skilled instructors. I'd like to share my experience and everything that this trek has taught me.

First, I would like to start with the foremost important thing about a trek, which is 'Adjustment'. Adjustment with the people around me, and adjustment with the environment around me. We lived with Nature, by Nature and on Nature. We had to adjust with small space to live and rest in, without any comfort. This way it helped us to identify our ability to adjust with the present circumstances.

Second, it helped us a lot to learn how to 'Socialize' with people. There were 64 of us, who came for this journey to experience adventure and learn survival on Hills and Mountains. When I started for the trek, I knew only three other participants who were my friends, but when I returned I had an endless list of friends on my card. Initially I was worried about what people around me would be like, but as soon as I reached and 'socialized', all my fears disappeared. It was because we all lived in the same environment, wore the same type of clothes, ate the same food, and shared the same shelters. We woke up together, ate together, learned together and enjoyed together. This trip has helped me enlarge my circle of friends and enhanced my ability to be friends with people irrespective of age and origins.

Now I would like to share the most remarkable part of this entire journey, 'The Lifetime Experiences' and 'Learnings'. We were introduced to the 'life saving equipments' of trekking and mountain/hills climbing. We were taught how to use those equipments to survive on the hills. We were introduced to the different kind of 'knots' that are used for various purposes. We experienced great adventures like crossing on and from 'Travellion Traverse', 'Joomering', 'Single Rope Bridge' and 'Burma Bridge'. And then we experienced a trek of around 16-17 kilometers in a day.

This entire camp has brought many changes in all of us. From waking up before sunrise and then going for workouts in the morning, then having meals on time and with discipline, socializing with people, living without any electronic gadget, and staying enthusiastic whole day. From this Adventurous Journey we have learned so many things which otherwise would not have been possible.

We are all extremely and whole heartedly thankful to our instructors for drawing out the best in us and making us aware of our hidden strength. Click for pictures...

This is what they have to say....

Ninety-eight Award participants (32 Silver and 66 Bronze) from The Sanskar Valley School, Bhopal completed their Adventurous Journey from 16th - 22nd October 2015 at Rishikesh Neelkanth area.  Let's hear from the participants after their journey.

Devak Namdhari, a Silver level participant says, "Spartans! What is your profession -- HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!" Teenagers shouting this at the top of their voices identified our group. Almost a hundred students participated in this adventure trip, and each one went home with more than a thousand memories. We laughed, we danced, we planned, we conquered our fears and we had fun. From bonfires in the night, to swimming in the bone-chilling waters of the Ganges, this was a true adventure trip. Kayaking, Natural rock-climbing, Rappelling, Paintball, White water rafting and Trekking -- we saw it all, and we did it all. Quite a lot of us faced our fears and we learnt how to overcome them. We learnt more than a dozen life-skills, without even realising it. Most of us who are busy with our urban lifestyles, often forget to appreciate nature but we never expected our technology-addicted selves to switch off our cell phones and admire the serenity of the water, the prosperity of the forests. This well-planned and action-packed trip to Rishikesh and Shivpuri shall always be in our hearts as a memory that we'll forever cherish.

Sakshi Pradyumn, another Silver level participant said - "What you see is what you believe. And what you experience is what you remember.' And this IAYP trip was in no contrast to this statement. It had all the elements of adventure one can think of from fun to fear. Not only did the scenic panorama of the Shivaliks thrill me, but also the alternate shallow rapids and calm waters of Ganga made me wonder. The trip taught me to adapt, to support, to take responsibilities, to adhere to rules, to take challenges, to respect Nature, and most of all to believe. Whenever the feeling, 'Oh my God! Could this adventure be done!' arose in my mind, I believed in my true self and here I am writing this review. Late night strides, curfew timings, enough dumb-charades at the campsite, were some of the experiences that were joyful. Long trekking, rock climbing, river landing, paintball fighting were the adventurous (rather really adventurous) things I did. The trip was well managed and the food was really good (as I am a foody). To sum up, this IAYP trip was the epitome of adventure and joy. Surely, I look forward to many more like it.

On a Digha trek with the help of inner eye

Bronze and Silver Award participants from Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys' Academy, Narendrapur did coastal trekking for their Adventurous Journey from 9th to 11th December 2015.  Joydeep Thakur published their journey in Hindustan Times (Kolkata Edition) on 22 December 2015. Read the full story here.

Holding each other's hands they trekked for three days along the beach covering more than 60 km from Chandipur to Talsari and ultimately reached Digha. They could feel the wet sand under their feet, hear the waves breaking at a distance, feel the cool breeze gently sweeping their face, smell the sea and even touch the water bending down a little. Yet they couldn't see the sea. They are the students of the Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys' Academy in Narendrapur (in picture).

"It was a wonderful learning experience and fun for us. We were out of the hostel's comfort and had to walk for nearly 20 km on an average every day for three days, cook our own food, sleep in tents and cross rivers sometimes on foot and sometimes on boats. But yet we never got tired and spent the evenings singing the latest Bollywood songs, danced and recited poems at the end of the day. The trip taught us many things," said Subhankar Bhunia, a student of class eight who is totally blind.

A team of 25 students, including 12 students who are blind in both eyes, from the academy -- all aged between 14 and 20 years -- went for a coastal trek on December 8. They were escorted by two teachers from the academy and around nine experienced trekkers from the Institute of Climbers and Nature Lovers.

"The team first reached Chandipur from where the trek started in the morning of December 8. On the first day they trekked for 17 km, crossed two rivers -- Buri Balam and Kasai -- and pitched their tents on the banks of Kasai River at a place named Kasafal. The second halt Dogara was around 22 km from Kasafal. At Dogara the tents were pitched on a highland covered with Casuarina trees. They reached Talsari on the third day after crossing the Subarnarekha River and trekking for nearly 23 km. From Talsari they reached Digha on motorised van-rickshaws," said Biswajit Ghosh, principal of the academy.

Ghosh pointed out that a normal youth won't feel the pain and tiredness while walking for 20 km on the beach as he would divert his mind by seeing the beauty of the sea and other things. But a blind boy who can't see anything would feel the tiredness as he has to concentrate on the trek alone.

"Despite all these difficulties and their challenges they did it," he added.

Each and every one had a responsibility on the trip. While those who were totally blind were given jobs such as washing vegetable, taking off the shells of boiled eggs and peeling boiled potatoes, those who could partially see were asked to fetch water and light a stove. Food was simple with rice, dal, egg curry for dinner and either chapatti or toast for breakfast.

"But it was a real thrill. We learnt how to pitch tents, slept on polythene sheets, eat freshly prepared self-cooked food. We collected shells from the beach and brought them back as mementoes. None of us complained of any difficulties and none fell sick. We enjoyed it to the hilt," said Tahasimul Rine, student class XI who has lost vision in both eyes.

On the way the students learnt a lot about life on the beach. They interacted with fishermen, saw how the fisher folk wove fishing nets, came to know many new things about tides, learnt about trees found on the coasts such as Casuarinas and marine animals among others.

"Through this costal trek they could judge their capacity and develop self confidence. They learnt about team work and how to care for each other when out of their comfort zone. Above all they learnt how to keep on going when things get tough because walking for 62 km on sand is not at all an easy task," said Chandan Majumder, placement officer of the academy who escorted the students on the trip.  

Source: Hindustan Times (Kolkata)

Explore Spiti, be a part of Solar Conservation Project 2016

Residential Project and Adventurous Journey for Gold Participants
10th - 25th June, 2016: Spiti, Northern Himalayas, India

Gold Award participants from around the globe are welcome to apply for the two-weeks Solar Conservation Project at Monastery, Spiti. Organised by Ecosphere in collaboration with IAYP India, the project is one of its kind, combining an Adventurous Journey and Gold Residential Project exclusively for Gold Award participants.  During this journey the Award participants will participate in the actual construction of the Solar Bath and the setup of a Solar Water Geyser (Evacuated Tube Condenser) or a Greenhouse and will be assisted by a dedicated team with a qualified mason and representative from Ecosphere. The construction period will be 7 to 8 days. The trip combines work and pleasure. During this trip the Award participants will also be visiting some of the highest villages in the world, going on a high-altitude trek, visiting some ancient monasteries dating back over 1000 years and taking a yak/horse safari and mountain bike. Traditional homestays further enrich the experience by giving an authentic understanding of the life and culture in a Spitian home. Detailed information and application form can be download from here or you can write tospiti_gold2016@iayp.in

Registrations Open till 15th April 2016

Award Leader Training (YES) Workshop at Award Training Centre, New Delhi

The National Award Authority organized an Award Leader Training Workshop at the Award Training Centre, New Delhi on December 22-23, 2015. The participants included delegates from Vivek High School, Chandigarh; Saupin's School, Chandigarh; and Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior. Kapil Bhalla (National Director) started the workshop with an ice-breaking session and then introduced the Award to the participants. Over a span of two days the participants were given in-depth knowledge regarding the four domains of the programme i.e. Skills, Service, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journey and also the Residential Project for the Gold Award Programme. The participants were also introduced to the technical aspect of the programme, which included Risk Management and Branding. Bivujit Mukhoty (Programme Manager), Priyank Kumar Gupta (Head IT and ORB), Ranjana Rai (Member NTP) and Pallavi Gill (Member NTP) lead the workshop for two days.  The trainers shared their own experience as trainers and Award Leaders and had an engaging discussion with the participants. Click for pictures 

Charity Begins at Home

Award participants from Maa Anandmayee Memorial School, Raiwala took part in cleaning drive organised by the school authorities.  Here is a report from the participants.

On 5th Dec, 2015 as soon as we reached the school, we heard some exciting news. It was related to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and we were asked to get engaged and contribute in this very important movement which has been started by our honourable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi.

'Charity begins at home' -- following this very dictum, our Director Arpit Panjwani and our Principal motivated the children with their didactic words to start this very movement from their school.

First of all they told us the importance of cleanliness and they also told us how to clean our house, school and society and public places as part of our regular schedule. They showed us we can clean the places using proper dustbins. Principal Sir explained the importance of cleaning our rooms ourselves, and further put the waste into the dustbin. 

After the discussion we started our cleaning campaign. First of all we cleaned our school ground and also the classes. Afterwards, we went to the classes and told the students about cleanliness and took a promise from the students that they would use dustbins and also keep the school campus clean. They would themselves take care of the school campus and homes, thereby leading to a cleaner society. Click for more pictures

The Award allowed me the opportunities that fueled my passions in life

Canadian Gold Award holder Jessica Silva, one of eight new Emerging Leaders to sit on the International Council (IC) shared her Award Journey at the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Forum 2015 at Toronto

I remember dragging my father into the room as my Bronze ceremony commenced.  He was a bit confused as to why I was so in awe with the young gentleman who sat at our table. Mr. Craig Kielburger, the founder of Free the Children and Me to We, was our guest speaker for our Bronze Award Ceremony and who had the pleasure of sitting at his table? Myself and a few students from my High School. As my father casually made conversation with him, I kept nudging him so as to warn him that he was infringing on the "embarrassing" territory and he needed to simply "stop talking". My father was still confused as to what Mr. Kielburger's role was until he got up to the podium to speak.

Mr. Kielburger began with a story. He shared with us his adventures in Ecuador where he and his team of volunteers were attempting to finish building a school, however they had underestimated timing needed to complete their plans as they were unable to finish building the school in time. Concerned, Mr. Kielburger went to the chief of the village and in an apologetic tone, explained that he and his team were unable to finish the school they were attempting to build for the community. The chief simply explained that there was no need to worry. Mr. Kielburger was confused and thought that the chief had not understood what he was saying. The chief laughed and said he would call for a "minga". Mr. Kielburger left confused, however to his surprise he would learn the meaning of this word "minga" when he woke the next morning.  As villagers from surrounding villages pilled in to help with the school, Craig understood the power of "minga".

Mr. Kielburger explained that there was no direct translation for the work "minga"   however he roughly translated it to mean " the coming together of a community for the greater good". It was at my Bronze Award Ceremony where this very sentiment was engrained in my head. The idea of the power of a community to affect change came to be the very sentiment that fueled my passion and dedication to international development work and advocacy on behalf of the marginalized. Moreover, It was also the thread that held together my personal journey with the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award.

After Mr Kielburger's Speech, my father, an avid traveller, began to ask questions about Free the children's upcoming trip to China during the summer of 2007. About three months later, I was booked on a trip of a lifetime where I began to experience the meaning of community, non formal education, and most of all the importance of taking advantages of opportunities that present themselves when you least expect it.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, was complimentary to those activities that I was so passionate about pursuing like community service with the homeless in Toronto or learning another language like French. However, I always found it challenging to meet the requirements for the adventurous journey as Toronto, which I am sure you have all realized by now, is not the most outdoorsy place. How could a young woman like myself pursue an adventurous journey when I live in an urban setting. Thankfully, the Award allowed for flexibility with the qualifications for an adventurous journey and my trip to China qualified for my Silver adventurous journey.

In keeping up with the momentum, I continued my Gold Award at the age of 17. However, I slowly began to lose not only my motivation for continuing the Award but also the reason for which I was doing the Award. I began to get tied down with school work, other personal aspirations, and most of all my passions lead my to pursue other opportunities that arose at that time. Before I knew it, I had stopped working on my Gold Award at the end of high school.

Throughout the years, I always worked towards saving up for a trip of a lifetime and for me that was during the Summer of 2011. In my second year at university, I was selected to attend as one of 10 students from my university on an international health field placement in Zambia. We lived in a compound outside of Lusaka and were fortunate enough to work alongside locals. My personal project was working with rural female gardeners and creating a social enterprise project to increase their livelihoods and hopefully, create more opportunities for a sustainable income. It was then where I realized my privilege of having experienced the Award programme. I knew that I had put that opportunity on hold for the moment and as life progressed, I forgot about the aspirations of that young girl who met Craig Kielburger. He challenged us to be that change we want to see in the world and the Award challenged me to push myself to my limits. It was not until I was living alongside those who were not as privileged as I, where I realized just how grateful and lucky I was to be afforded the opportunity of choosing to partake in such an Award programme.

From there, I decided that I would return to Canada and complete my Gold Award as an independent participant. Fortunately enough, my backpacking exploratory journey that I conducted after my health field placement qualified for my adventurous journey. I worked as quickly as I could and dedicated my time to completing my Award. I was so proud to have achieved my Gold. However, when I attended my Gold Award ceremony, I remember being a little taken aback at just how much judgment and lack of collaboration there was at the Award ceremony. As I am a friendly person, I tried to build relationships with those around me, however they were in no way, interested. Moreover, they shared with me stories that alluded to their privilege. I thought back to those whom I had worked with in Zambia and realized that from that point on, I wanted to provide the opportunity of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award to those who were less privileged in Canada. This was my plan then and is still my plan as I stand here today. 

Personally, I would like to thank the Award for allowing me the opportunity to not only gain useful life skills but to also pursue those opportunities that fueled my passions in life. The Award programme's flexibility allowed for me to take a break and pick right back up from where I started. I feel that without that, I may not have completed my Gold Award.

For the Award's future, it is my hope to see the Award flourish amongst the marginalized, of course giving careful definition to whom we define as marginalized. Personally, I think there is the opportunity to establish many partnerships with universities, community colleges, youth programs and even youth clubs where we can present the opportunity to create collaborative models to delivering the Award and more importantly creating a "minga" where youth feel supported throughout their Award experiences. If I may dream so big, I would also love to see more collaboration between countries to creating support for Award participants and Award holders in accomplishing their personal goals outside of the Award. I feel that through networking and creating partnerships, we can all do our part to ensuring the growth and longevity of the Award programme.

From Toronto to Accra - John May, Secretary General

In Toronto, I likened our development as an Award family to making coffee. I spoke of the need to use percolators as well as cafetières -- to allow ideas room for discussion and consideration as well as driving down hard on the plunger of change. I believe that Forum 2015 gave us the opportunity to percolate a set of ideas and to begin to reach a common vision of our future.

Over the coming months we will be following up on this work: sharing with you further results from the discussions that were facilitated by Group Partners, and suggesting how those discussions might continue and transfer into action. We have further work to do on developing the memorandum of understanding and we look forward to working with members of the International Council on this task in the first instance. And we hope that, in planning for regional conferences and other meetings over the coming three years, we can capitalise on the amazing spirit of co-operation and collaboration that we created in the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

None of this could have happened without the hard work of everyone: our amazing Canadian hosts, Foundation staff, volunteer facilitators, members of review groups, delegates and guests. Thank you for making Forum 2015 the success that it undoubtedly was.

Before Forum 2015 I wrote to you about the 'road to Toronto'. We have now begun our adventurous journey along the 'road to Accra'. It'll be quite a journey and I have no doubt there will be twists, turns and the occasional exploration in what turns out to be the wrong direction. As Robin Sieger said in his speech, "let's concentrate on the 'where' and not worry too much about the 'how.'" If the Award really is the wonderful thing that so many of us believe it to be, then it is nothing short of our duty to bring it within the reach of as many young people as we possibly can; and to do that with rigour, with skill and with urgency.

My IAYP Experience

Surya Govindaswaami, Silver Award participant from Hiranandani Upscale School, Chennai shares his Award experience with us.
Now most people writing this article would start out with something like "the IAYP has been a revolutionizing experience that changed my life". But I'm going to be honest. As a teenager, the IAYP is not something that is going to change your life or shed new light for you. But what it will do is provide you with the motivation and incentive to divulge in new experiences. The saying goes that "experience is the best teacher", and I don't deny that for a second. The various experiences I have been exposed to due to the IAYP have allowed me to mature as a person, become more disciplined in nature, and understand the complexity and intricacy of the world around me. Before IAYP began, I was almost never involved in community and did very little community service, if any. This is expected, as most adolescents are not going to be thrilled to get out into the world and do some real work.

But that changed after I began the IAYP programme; I started becoming more involved in the community and participated in service related activities such as tree-planting, beach cleanups, and teaching under-privileged and orphaned children. These experiences did actually have a huge impact on me, as I began to realize "our world" is a shell, and we are a small dot or point in an otherwise huge painting. In conclusion, the International Award for Young People had a resounding effect on me, and I owe a big thanks to the founders for giving me this opportunity to become more involved in the community and discover reality via a variety of immense first-hand experiences. Click for more pictures

Online Learning Hub

The Online Learning Hub is now ready for launch to Award Leaders from India. An important part of the Foundation's digital strategy is to provide a virtual space for adults involved in the Award to learn and share good practice. In the process to achieve this, the International Award Association has launched 'the Learning Hub' and is now open for the Indian Award Leaders. The Learning hub is designed to

• create global groups of volunteers and staff from the Foundation, NAOs and IACs
• provide access for NAOs and IACs to resources that will assist them with Award management
• standardise the access to and delivery of online training globally for staff (Continual Professional Development) and volunteers (courses)

This 'social media' environment allows us to learn from one another; it allows the Foundation to share materials and resources with specific groups; and allows us all to engage each other in developing our skills and sharing experiences for the improvement of the people who facilitate, manage and deliver the Award across the globe. It is, essentially, Facebook for adults involved in the Award. But the 'Learning Hub' is more than a social environment. You'll also be able to access formal online courses via the 'Learning Hub' link on the toolbar.
The National Award Authority welcomes all certified Award Leaders to join the Online Learning hub. We think the Learning Hub will create a whole new set of ways for us all to develop even more people to provide the best possible access to non-formal education for young people through the Award. With your help, this system will become the core learning and support vehicle for a new wave of global expansion for the Award.
Please write to programme@dofe.in to get the access to the Learning Hub.

Residential Project at a Spiritual Retreat

Mridul Upadhyay, Open Award Participant attended SPIC MACAY International Convention for his Residential Project. Mridul is presenting here a report on his Residential Project.

The 3rd International Convention of SPIC MACAY was held from 31 May to 6 June at IIT-Mumbai. SPIC MACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth) is a voluntary movement that organizes events (over 5000 annually) of classical music and dance, folk arts, crafts etc. in educational institutions through the world. The annual conventions of SPIC MACAY, with more than 300 chapters in India and abroad and thousands of volunteers working selflessly, is a Mahakumbh or a spiritual retreat. The annual convention has acquired international status from the past three years, when delegates from other countries also joined hands. 

The International convention focusses on providing a unique atmosphere to delegates with an emphasis on the Guru-Shishya model. The convention aims to provide a holistic experience in line with classical Indian tradition and participants follows certain rules and regulations like consumption of holistic food, not using mobile/camera and early morning wakeup etc. The convention aims to bring the lesser known and often underappreciated art forms, and the associated artists back into the spotlight. Arts forms like Paper Mache, Puppetry, Kudiyattam and more are probably not as famous as others but they are without a doubt equally significant in the amount of skill and hard work that goes into them. The convention serves as a great stage for these artists to earn the respect and appreciation they deserve while attracting people towards these lost art forms. 

The unique experience of the week-long "Aashram-Vaas" for nearly 1,800 participants from home and abroad was unforgettable, where the normal day started at 4 am with Naad-Yoga, the practice of music; Hatha Yoga, the Yogic exercises; and Dhyaan Yoga, or practising meditation; followed by "Shram-Daan" or cleaning up the surroundings. After it the most unique feature of the convention: the 3 hour long intensive workshops every day by renowned Gurus of classical music and dance, folk theatre, painting, handicrafts and much more. Based on what we learnt during this period we got a chance to perform in front of everyone on the last day. 

On various days, the afternoon sessions and lecture demonstrations had Qawwali by Warsi brothers, Sattriya dance performance by Guru Ghanakant Bora and his talented disciple Anvesha Mahanta, Odissi by Sujata Mahapatra, Bharatanatyam by Praveen Kumar, Kathak by Prerana Shrimali, Mayurbhanj Chhau by Ileana Citaristi, classical Hindustani music by Pt Vinayak Torvi, screening of Malayalam film Kathapurushan followed by interaction with 16 times National Award winning film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan, an illustrated lecture with Puppet show by Dadi Padamji and an inspiring talk by the renowned painter Akbar Padamsi.

Another unique feature of this convention was the overnight music concert which started on the night of June 5, 2015 from 8 pm and go till 6 am in the morning of June 6, 2015. Renowned artistes like Balamurali Krishna, Aswani Bhide Deshpande, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Wasifuddin Dagar performed during the overnight concert. On the last day, the participants were taken on tours to different heritage sites in the city like the Kanheri Caves, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and many more.

All in all, the week-long convention facilitated hundreds of participants not only the awareness of our classical art and culture but also its ethos, the deeper and subtler meaning and values, inspiring them to become better human beings. Click her for pictures