Plantation Drive

"A tree can supply a day’s oxygen for four people."

Nature has been one of the greatest sources of energy for living creatures. We are indeed blessed and privileged to reside in the heart of a wonderful, attractive and eco-friendly environment. Staying in this beautiful paradise proves to be extremely therapeutic and tranquilizing and also motivates one to give back to the environment what it gives us humans so generously and selflessly. Planting trees is one such act of contributing towards the greenery of our surroundings.

Armed with lots of enthusiasm, energy, and thankfulness, the Award participants from The Sagar School, Alwar, wholeheartedly invested time and energy in the plantation drive aimed at a clean and fresh environment. The participants planted these saplings with the hope that, with time, they will blossom into plants and trees, adding beauty to nature and providing food for animals.

The need of the hour is to sensitize people towards promoting afforestation and preventing deforestation to save the world. Click for pictures

Kindness in giving creates love

Satyans (Sat Paul Mittal School) of the IAYP club believe that “Kindness in words creates confidence, Kindness in thinking creates profoundness, and Kindness in giving creates love." And truly, this is just the beginning.

The journey began on 29th July, 2016 when the IAYP Club students at Sat Paul Mittal School volunteered to assist the authorities in their campaign of empowerment through Information Technology Literacy. The students designed placards on the Alphabet, Colours, Sports, Fruits and Vegetables to enhance the learning process of the specially-abled students. Dummy Keyboards were also made by students of the IAYP Club and gifted to help students in recognizing the letters of the alphabet and numbers on the keyboard. The outcome of this effort is visible now. Twenty-two students have achieved the minimum levels of Data Entry and have begun their journey to independence.

As part of the last lap, the Satyans of the IAYP club were at Aashriwad on 24 January, 2017 to donate the proceeds raised through the sale of 700 diyas, 100 envelopes, and 50 paper bags. In an endeavour to support the cause, Satyans purchased the diyas, painted and decorated them and sold them on Sports Day at the school campus. With the funds raised the school purchased two ASUS notebooks.

It was a heart warming sight when the two ASUS notebooks were handed over to Ms. Sanam Mehra, member on the advisory board Aashriwad and Ms. Reshma, Coordinator of the IAYP Programme. Satyans have been working very closely with the AMBA Project initiated at Aashriwad. This project is truly an empowerment project, where 22 students are being trained to pursue data entry as their profession. It aims at moving the students from Dependence to Independence. More pictures can be found here.

Difference between those who care and those who don’t

“What matters today is not the difference between those who believe and those who don't, but the difference between those who care and those who don’t.”

Award participants from Bawa Lalvani Public School, Kapurthala visited and offered their services at the Kusht Ashram (Leprosy Home) in Kapurthala on 20th January 2017. Below is a report from Ms. Ekta Dhawan, Principal, Bawa Lalvani Public School, Kapurthala.

The aim of the IAYP programme is to ‘equip youth for life’. Young people, through this project, work with socially and economically disadvantaged people or people with physical disabilities through activities of the Award Programme. Association through these activities encourages independence, inter-dependence and self-helpamong socially isolated people.

To sensitize the students about the people suffering from leprosy and to boost the morale of the patients and their families, BLPS organised a visit to Kusht Ashram, Kapurthala for Award participants. The staff of the Ashram introduced them to the patients and their families. The participants had healthy conversations with the patients and their families and had a first-hand knowledge of their experiences and lives of people with leprosy.

The Award participants, along with their mentors and parents, have made volunteering for Kusht Ashram a part of their Social Service experience. Parents have helped in preparing the lunch boxes, articles of daily needs (comb, soap, toothbrush) and financial help. The participants, along with teachers, offered help for daily grooming, such as changing their clothes, combing their hair and cutting the nails of physically disabled people and cleaning their surroundings. The participants purchased food items for the patients. This contribution meant a lot to the inmates of the leprosy home.

Medical treatment has brought leprosy under control everywhere in the world but there is still deep-rooted discrimination against those affected by this disease. The Award participants have pledged to serve them in their struggle and to truly overcome such discrimination.

As a weekly affair, the Award participants have decided to enthusiastically participate in the collection for these victims of leprosy. Through this, the participants learn to care of others and understand the importance of contributing to one’s community. It gives them an opportunity to change lives, perhaps even their own, and understand what it means to 'equip for life.'

Endeavour to Elevate Village Kids

Priyanka Tiwari, an Award Leader from Mody School, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan shares how the Programme inspired the young Award participants to come forward and serve the community.

"Youth is that wonderful time in life when energy is limitless.” These words of Swami Vivekananda resonate so well with the young girls of Mody School, who have started focussing their enormous energy towards the uplift of their local community. They have taken the responsibility to teach children in village Ghassu, one of the remotest villages in Rajasthan, under the Service Section of the Award Programme.

The village kids of Ghassu attend an antiquated local school, with the hope of creating their future. They have no exposure to the advanced world of today and are far behind the present times in terms of education and technology. When these young Award participants met them and analyzed their situation, they pledged to improve it with their efforts. These girls were taken aback when they observed their school notebooks, which explicitly depicted the pitiable condition of village schools.

These Award participants compared their own privileged education with the detriment of those village kids and developed an immediate connection with them. They began to teach them basic reading, speaking and writing skills in English, to which they all responded well after some time. Seven days a week these girls go to help them build more than language skills: their personality and self-esteem. The children over there have learnt to speak simple sentences in English. Every day they learn something new and take away a bundle of new learning to unfold before their parents.

When these Award participants met the students of Ghassu, they observed the hope in their hearts to learn more the next day. Parents from far off distances bring their children in order to make them learn something, which they can’t do in their own schools.

Thanks to IAYP, which encouraged these girls to step out of their comfort zone and serve the community. Click here for more pictures

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.

My Award Journey

Makesh Srinviasan, Bronze Level participant from Hiranandani Upscale School, Kelambakkam shares his Award Journey experience with us in his words. IAYP has helped me to grow from an ordinary person to someone who is respected, given importance and now seen in the world from a different perspective. The Award Programme brought many things into my schedule that helped me to improve myself in myriad ways. It shaped me not only to take up more responsibilities and challenges but also to handle them and be a citizen that a nation would be proud of. This journal records details of my experience in this course starting from July 2015 until today. As an IAYP participant, responsibilities were assigned to me by the school for the first couple of months. I was part of an adventurous trip to a hill station called Coorg. It was a three day fun-filled trip where adventurous activities were organised like zip lining, trekking, river rafting and swimming in the cold river. My main focus was to learn how to be independent, gain experience and provide valuable support to my companions. To move out of my comfort zone and challenge my own learning, fears and skills was the outcome of this adventure section. Next, in the service section of the Award, during the weekends, my friends and I provided education and basic computer knowledge to kids from the orphanage. We conducted regular and scheduled classes for them. Although during some weekends it wasn't possible for them to attend classes due to transportation trouble, national holidays, floods and rains, nevertheless, we managed to reschedule their classes on the availability of our time periods. Moreover, apart from teaching, I also worked for rescue and relief missions during the floods times in Chennai. Every day was very critical, and I used to spent many hours in preparing food, collecting clothes and gathering necessary items from shops. Eventually, we grew into a big association involving more than 50 members from our society. Together, we were able to help hundreds of poor families and kids. We provided food packages, medicines, water bottles, clothes and other necessary items, to about 1000 people in more than 5 different areas. Besides these, I had also been involved in taking photographs (for which I was given the responsibility) for an event that took place in my community. Compassion, communication and connect with the community were the cherished gifts that I saved from this section of the Award journey. My physical activity involved playing football. Being my favourite sport, I made good progress in it. I practiced regularly for about 2 to 3 hours on the ground and about 1 hour indoors to workout. During exams and flood time I was unable to play regularly. But apart from that, I was a very regular student and had shown progressive improvements in this sport. It is a sport that once broke my nose but still, I love playing football. In skills Section, my interests were mainly focused on playing instruments such as violin and piano, and I chose piano. From July till today, I have been practicing piano lessons regularly and with great interest. Although, due to some reasons my teacher couldn't continue, but I kept on practicing my lessons at home for about an hour or two almost every day. Eventually I found a new teacher but he insisted on starting the lessons from the basics. But even then, I did not feel discouraged. I love piano today as much as I loved it on my first day! Thanks IAYP for making me what I am today!Click here for more pictures

Donate a Blanket, Save a Life

Two Silver Award participants, Shilpi Daimary and Kavery Mahela from Miles Bronson Residential School, Guwahati, are sharing their experience during the Blanket Donation drive to protect pavement dwellers from the cold.

Inspired and motivated by the initiative of NDTV and Uday Foundation’s mission to keep the pavement dwellers of North India warm, we, the Award participants of Miles Bronson fraternity also joined hands in saving the lives of the people in need. On 3rd December 2015, it was announced in our morning assembly that we had to collect blankets and warm clothes for people who were dying from the cold on the streets, in slums, orphanages and old age homes. On Sunday, the 6th of December 2015, we collected a huge pile of old warm clothes and blankets from the Bronsonians and the teachers. It was wonderful to see that some of our teachers and Bronsonias brought not only old warm clothes but also new blankets, warm clothes, socks and gloves to keep people warm. After collecting the donations, on 13th December 2015, we, the Award participants, along with our mentors, distributed the blankets and warm clothes to the pavement dwellers living near the Sukreshwar Mandir, Panbazar, Guwahati. It was fulfilling to see the smiles on the faces of those pavement dwellers and we wish all our friends and teachers a heartfelt thank you in taking such initiatives and make someone's life worth living in cold winters. 

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 

My visit to an orphanage

Alice Saha, Bronze  participant from Miles Bronson Residential School, Guwahati shares her wonderful learning experience

Human behavior is determined by two faces - physical and social - that humans are trying to understand and maintain since time immemorial. Being benevolent is one of the distinguished characteristics of our existence. This world is vast and we are the members of a big family. Thus inclusive education teaches us to include one and all in the system where there is no discrimination. As privileged children we need to embrace the marginalized members of society, spread awareness and bring a smile to their faces. With this mission in mind, a group of students from class 11 visited the St. Claret's Convent orphanage in the month of September 2015.

It's a great learning experience. During our visit we could feel that the orphanage authority takes good care of the children there. They looked very happy and satisfied. The most remarkable point is that these children receive quality education besides their daily requirements. They are very presentable and friendly and we enjoyed our chat with them. We took lots of chocolates, pencils, erasers and note books for them. We also tried to liven the mood by singing and dancing with them.

Truly, it was mentally satisfying to see the smiles that our small act of kindness could bring to their faces. I met a girl, Afrina, 8 years old, who taught me the lesson that strong determination can direct one to face all the odds in life. At such a small age she has already fixed her goal. She wants to become a teacher. Her life situation has made her strong and resilient and she is making the best use of the resources provided by the orphanage.

We are very lucky that MBRS has provided us with such opportunities of community service. Our visit to the orphanage was a new experience for us. I thank God for blessing us with wonderful parents and pray these orphans too find a better world tomorrow.Click for pictures

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Praniti Ganjoo, Gold Award holder from Delhi Public School, Gurgaon is sharing her experience during her Bronze to Gold Award Journey

I became a part of the IAYP programme four years ago, and the Gold Award Ceremony held on the 16th of July took me down memory lane, to the past four years of my journey of getting the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. I remember the 14 year old girl, who had just entered into high school and was excited about the adventure camps that she would get to be a part of and enrolled for the Award. Little did I know that this would become such an important part of who I am today.

I was in the 9th grade when I received my Bronze Award. I took up dancing as a Physical Recreation, where I learnt dance forms like jazz and freestyle. For the Skills section, I took up baking, another passion of mine. However, undoubtedly, the most interesting and fun sections were the Service and the Adventurous Journey sections. I got involved with Shiksha Kendra, an initiative to teach the underprivileged children of our society subjects like English, maths and the social sciences. For the Adventurous Journey, I went to Mori, Uttarakhand, where I took part in white water river rafting, rappelling, trekking and cliff diving.

Getting the Bronze Award after months of involvement in various activities, the exhilaration, and the ability to learn, filled me with a newfound thirst to learn more and become more, and I knew one thing for sure, there was no going back!

For the Silver and Gold award, I pursued dancing and swimming under Skills and Physical Recreation respectively, with the same vigour and zest and learnt new things under the guidance of my proficient instructors. I also got a tremendous opportunity to work with Teach India -- an initiative by the Times of India and the British Council, which aimed at spreading awareness about the importance of the English language and facilitated its learning for people, in order to improve their quality of life by providing better employment opportunities. I was actively involved with this endeavour by Times of India, and got an award for Excellent Contribution and Best Volunteer.

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Programme made me recognize the significance of giving back to society. This inspired me to also volunteer for an organisation which dealt with children fighting with cancer and I collected funds at carnivals and also conducted bake sales. Finally, the Residential Project under the Gold Award, gave me an insight into the life of the villagers. I went to the village Ghamroj, near Sohna Road, Gurgaon, Haryana, where we saw factories where bricks were made, went to a cowshed and organic farms and also met the village head, who enlightened us about the improvement of education and sanitation facilities in the village.

The Award gave me an opportunity to engage and acquire a new set of skills. I got the liberty to design my own programme and set my own goals by challenging my boundaries. Thank you IAYP!

Award Leaders training workshop

The NAA organised a two-day Award Leader training workshop at the Award Training Centre, New Delhi, attended by 23 participants from Mussoorie International School, Mussoorie; Manava Bharati Heritage School, Kaimur; Sir Padampat Singhania Education Centre, Kanpur; Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi; Unison World School, Dehra Dun; The Punjab Public School, Nabha; Him Academy Public School, Hamirpur; Ivy World School, Jalandhar; Vidya Sanskar International School, Faridabad and Uttam School for Girls, Ghaziabad. Kapil Bhalla (National Director) inaugurated the workshop with a brief history and introduction to the Award. Bivujit Mukhoty (Programme Manager), Priyank Kumar Gupta (Head IT & ORB) and Ranjana Roy (Member National Training Panel) lead the workshop, which was conducted on 18th and 19th September, 2015. Click here for pictures

The Award helped me realize my self-worth and importance

Trupti Panigrahi, Gold Award Holder from the Open Award Centre shares here life changing experience during her Award Journey.
"Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement." - Golda Meir

Being honoured with the Gold Award by the IAYP (International Award for Young People), worldwide known as the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, was a dream that came true for me. I started my journey five years ago with the aim of serving society and working towards self-growth. This journey has given me much more than what I could ever imagine. It has instilled in me the thirst to learn more, explore more about life and evolve as a good human being. It has taught me to never give up and never look back.

It was through this journey I realized that in spite of being a small creation of the Almighty, I can bring about a remarkable difference in his world. It has made me realize my self-worth and importance. It has made me understand my responsibilities towards my own self and towards society at large. This Award has given me an opportunity to challenge my own beliefs and come out of my self-created boundaries.

I am extremely thankful to the Award India for providing such a platform where young people get engaged in developmental work. This not only benefits them but also the people surrounding them and creates a brand value for their respective countries.

I am sure I will see more and more people joining this endeavour and having such amazing experiences.

Personality Development through Social Service

Sanganabasava International Residential School and Kavalagi village Panchayat have decided to collaborate for the overall development of the village by initiating a number of focused projects. The programme was formally inaugurated on 23rd November 2014 at the Kavalagi school grounds, in the presence of all the Award participants and mentors. The school has planned to build two blocks of 40 toilets (20 for Kavalagi and 20 for Honnutagi) each at two locations of the village as part of the Swachh Bharat Programme.

The ethical values that the school has nurtured in students was motivated by the "Clean India Programme" initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Award participants in groups of four took an oath on 25th Sept 2014 to undertake the programme.

The development programme is planned to be comprehensive. It includes a basic literacy programme, a health development programmme and maintaining a plastic-free zone in Honnutagi & Kavalagi. The people from the panchayat attended the inauguration. A powerful video programme was arranged to educate the people about the perils of alcoholism and smoking. Thanking the school authorities and students for the development initiative, the principal in her concluding message said, "A happy, prosperous and peaceful life for every Indian is a dream that we should cherish and realize".

Besides this effort, a literacy campaign was also promoted in these two villages. Each participant adopted 10 people to be taught. This ongoing programme will contribute to the growth of the country and the development of the nation's citizens. Click for picture

Nature: A Commitment to Preserve and Nurture - A report by Manju Verma (Award Leader)

Award participants of Cambridge International School Phagwara, in their commitment to preserve and nurture nature, moved a step forward by adopting a local park in Phagwara city. The school took this initiative in a collaborative effort with the residents of Urban Estate Phagwara to improve and maintain the park.

Mr. Som Prakash, MLA Phagwara City, inaugurated the event. He motivated the participants to follow the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan to keep the city, state and nation clean.

This initiative was further supported by residents and community members who will volunteer their time to improve the chosen park. All the IAYP participants and members present there pledged to keep the park clean and work on a variety of projects including planting and maintaining flower beds; maintaining the trails and paths; painting and caring for park structures; cleaning up litter; planting, mulching, and watering trees; and ensuring the park is well maintained. The Award participants also pledged to visit the park every Sunday. An inspirational song "Zariya" sung by the students of Cambridge International School strengthened the spirit of the movement.

Principal Jorawar Singh encouraged the students to preserve nature for our future generations. Pankaj Gautam, a leading businessman of the town and a great social activist also motivated the students to plant more trees. The event was initiated under the guidance of Anita Somprakash, Jaswinder Kaur (MC), K. S. Bains (Managing Director CIS), Jorawar Singh (Principal), Amarjeet Singh (Administrator), Pankaj Gautam, members of Urban Estate Phagwara, staff and students of Cambridge International School Phagwara.

Click for pictures

IAYP Activities report from Saffron City School, Distt. Fatehgarh Sahib

Social service and skill based activities facilitate in the development of various domains of mind and personality such as intellectual, social, moral and aesthetic development. These activities are the components of non-academic curriculum that help to develop various facets of the personality. For all round development, there is a need of emotional, physical, spiritual and moral development that is complemented & supplemented by social science and skill based activities. So being a part of IAYP we have done lot of activities under Service & Skill that help young people unlock their potential and build a brighter future. Here comes the list of activities:-

Service:-Leprosy centre: Award participants took the initiative to visit a leprosy centre in Sirhind as a part of their social responsibilities. Students went around the centre and met all the patients. They interacted with the leprosy patients, listened to their grievances and shared their pain. The students made an effort to make them smile and forget that they had been ostracized. They distributed food items and clothes to the patients and discovered feelings of compassion in themselves.

Visit to a slum area: The participants visited slum areas a number of times. They went around the whole area and took the initiative to start 'Safai Abhyan' by cleaning roads and streets and motivated people all around to keep their area clean and green. They also visited the slum school and distributed stationary items and books to the children. They taught them the values of good hygiene and good practices such as keeping their habitat clean and green. They planted saplings there and taught students that it is through our own actions that we make these saplings grow: taking care of them would make them healthy, while neglecting them would stunt their growth, just like a small child.

Learning Skills: Participants took part in various group activities. One of the activities was learning pottery. The students made pots of different shapes and decorated and painted them. Another activity was learning the art of making envelopes of different shapes and decorating them. They shared various ideas among themselves. In another activity they learnt how to wrap gifts and make them look attractive. The items made by the students were displayed at the school exhibition, and the money collected was used for charity. Click here for pictures

The Award made me a better person

Yuvraj Geet Singh Chopra, Gold Award holder from Delhi Public School, Gurgaon received his Gold Award on 16th July 2015 at the Annual Gold Award Presentation Ceremony.  Yuvraj shares his experience during the Award Journey.
The Gold Award ceremony organized by IAYP, India was held on 16th July 2015 and I was one of the Gold Award recipients.  The entire journey for the completion of the Award was an amazing experience for me. I learnt a lot from it and hope to incorporate the values learnt from it in daily life as well.
There were five parts to the Award, each of which was to be performed and recorded in order to achieve the Award. Those categories included Skill, Physical Recreation, Adventure, Community Service and a Residential Project.
My Skill was vocal music. I practiced every day, performed in a lot of events and competitions for my school and otherwise, and my vocal skill has developed a lot since Day 1. I am now a very good singer and will be pursuing music after school as a hobby too. Under Recreation, I used to go to the gym periodically, due to which I have become a healthier and fitter person. My 'Adventure' included taking a wonderful trip to some islands, where I practiced Para-Sailing, Snorkelling, and other activities. The sheer thought of doing the rides was exhilarating! I also taught the students of the DPS Shiksha Kendra as part of Community Service and I cannot describe how happy I felt teaching the challenged young minds of our society. In fact, I liked it so much that even after the completion of the Award, I still continue to teach at the Shiksha Kendra.
I, along with my friends also visited a village called Ghamroj in Sohna as part of the Residential Project. We visited the homes and farms of the villagers living there, analyzed the current facilities of the village and then had a conversation with the village Sarpanch regarding improving the facilities of the village so that the people could achieve better lives and livelihood.
In conclusion, I have had a wonderful experience and I will cherish the moments I had throughout my life.

"Experience is the teacher of all things.' -- Julius Caesar

Poorva Gupta, Gold Award holder, Delhi Public School, Gurgaon shares her experience about the Award journey.

The journey of IAYP to the Gold Award has indeed been an unforgettable experience.  I started my Award journey when I was in Grade 9, and today when I have entered college, I am a Gold Award holder. My involvement in the Award was a matter of mere chance - thanks to my Award Leader, Darshna ma'am who took the initiative to make us aware about the entire programme. There was so much I was doing and I wanted a platform where I could make use of it. The Duke of Edinburgh Award provided me with the same. Through the entire program I not only came to discover myself, but also made a bunch of great friends.

The Bronze Award journey began with an exciting and adventurous river rafting trip that provided a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the refreshing rapids of River Ganga in Rishikesh. The 50 km journey by bus with other Gold and Silver participants was filled with excitement and the anticipation of savouring nature's rich bounty. For my Service section, I taught at Shiksha Kendra, an initiative in our school to teach the underprivileged children. During that time, I had just picked up a new activity, dancing, which became my daily Physical Recreation. I adore art, and therefore took the opportunity to master painting, develop my Skill and gain confidence. From April to October, I gradually improved in all fields. And it was at the end of October that I received my Bronze Award. 

For the Silver and Gold Award, I continued with the same amount of vigour and enthusiasm. For the Service section I had the opportunity to be a part of Teach India - an initiative by the Times of India and the British Council. Under this, I taught the support staff of our school by staying back for two hours after school. The experience was enriching, one of the best I've ever had. I remember going back to my class after some work, and one of the members of the support staff greeted me with a 'Good Morning!'. Then and there I knew that my purpose at Teach India was fulfilled. I thought the Residential Project would be a tough and laborious task; however, it was absolutely thrilling and an eye-opener for me. We went to Ghamroj Village situated in Sohna Road, Gurgaon. Talking to the villagers we were made aware of the universal needs of food, shelter, clothing, being accepted by our near and dear ones and improvement of standards of living. We realized that all, whether rich or poor, have similar dreams and most of us would go all out to fulfill them. The Award gave me an opportunity to engage and acquire new skills first hand through participation in the four sections. I got the liberty to design my own programme and to set my own goals by challenging my boundaries. Thanks a bunch IAYP!

My Award Experience

Amreen Kohli, Silver Award participant from Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana is sharing her Award experience with us.

The International Award for Young People is a platform where students develop their social, physical and mental faculties by indulging in various sports activities, community service and intellectual/skill-based activities. The IAYP programme helped me develop my personality and become a well-rounded person who participated in a plethora of activities during this programme. We took part in the Labour Day programme, the Gadhimahi Candle March and the community-service-cum-adventure trip to Chail. In Chail, we experienced the thrills and chills of mountain climbing, valley crossing and rappelling. 

These activities gave us a break from the daily humdrum life, while giving our bodies some much needed physical exercise. The community service we did made us sensitive to the needs of the people around us. The IAYP programme aims to develop the skills of a child in every field. It has been an enriching experience to be a part of the IAYP programme. It helped me in becoming a confident and productive citizen of society, who cares about the well-being of others and herself. 

Thank You, IAYP!

Tushar Gupta (Silver Level), Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana sharing his experience of his Award Journey.
IAYP is a fantastic amalgamation of adventure, fun and learning.  I have evolved and matured with the IAYP from a free willed amateur to a mature and responsible citizen. Be it sports, community service  or student empowerment, the IAYP through its plethora of activities has provided me various opportunities to develop the leader in me.  It has nurtured my survival instincts, made me social and affable.  Above all it has given  me the freedom to express and feel and has kindled in me the fire to do something constructive for society and the community at large.
My journey during the session 2014-15 has been magical and enriching as I have been a part of various new initiatives to spread global awareness. Through the Rise and Vote campaign, I fervently  asserted that it is everyone's duty to vote in the elections if they dream of a great India.  How can I forget the Candle March to protest against the Gadhimai Festival where thousands of animals were brutally slaughtered to satiate the the thirst of ignorant villagers? I feel as a part of the community, the onus is on us to bring about an effective change.  I remember vividly participating in the Swach Bharat Campaign wherein I, along with many passionate volunteers undertook the humongous task of bringing about an awareness among Ludhianavis to clean the Sidhwan Canal. Then, the Chail trip was an enlightening one where we saw the life of want and neglect and realised that we are gifted with so many amenities. I volunteered to teach, paint, cook and undertook such exhausting physical pursuits like flying fox, rappelling and trekking. I am thankful to the school and IAYP for showing  us the  panoramic view of life with all the technicolor images of good and bad and building core values like integrity, team spirit, reverence, tolerance and respect.

Kudos to Partap World School, Pathankot (YES Centre)

The Partap World School, Pathankot, Punjab (YES Centre) featured on the national news channel: ZEE NEWS. The school honoured a national level skater, Chandeep Singh, who is physically differently abled. Chandeep lost both his arms at the age of seven, when he suffered an electric shock. Partap World School supported Chandeep and his family with financial assistance and emotional support. On April 12, 2015, the school organised a skating competition on the occasion of their Chairman's birthday celebration.  Chandeep Singh participated in the competition and inspired other students and players. 

Talking to Chandeep, we discovered a determined young person, who says that physical inability cannot keep you from achieving the target. He shared his positive attitude towards life, motivating and inspiring other students. 

We at NAA wish to congratulate Partap World School, Pathankot for connecting with society and imparting a sense of service among their students.  See below the news coverage about Chandeep.