The Award in Action- Ushnish Mukherjee, DPS NEWTOWN

 I have had a passion for making little delectable things since childhood. Legos were my escape route from homework. But the thing I fell in love with is origami, the Japanese art of folding paper.

I remember spending hours on end and papers uncounted for to create many such models over the years. From primary school years I have gifted many teachers different origami models for teachers’ days. In recent years though, due to the perceived pressures of study, being seen with origami papers was inviting scolding from my mother.

My participation in The International Award for Young People, India and our teachers’ encouragement for physical and mental activities have rejuvenated my passion and love for origami. It relaxes me, and makes my mind work to see things differently. Using imagination is possibly the best way to keep your mind active and young.

My latest creation is a bull. An amazing animal that has inspired so many artists over many millennia. I created this using white paper because I wanted to portray a thought, ‘the biggest powers need to be peaceful’. In nature, they are.

                             

Thank you, teachers, and IAYP for your inspiration and encouragement.

-Submitted by Ushnish Mukherjee, Class XI, DPS NEWTOWN

The Award in Action- Dyal Singh Public School, Jagadhri

Award Participants from Dyal Singh Public School, Jagadhri, Yamuna Nagar share their experience with the residential project under the Award. Following is their itinerary:  

Day 1. We spent time cleaning at the Channeti Buddhist Stupa, which holds immense historical importance. Chaneti Buddhist Stupa is a 3rd century BC monument protected by the Government of India. The stupa is located in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana, three kilometers east of Jagadhri, and about three kilometers northwest of the archaeological site Sugh. 

Day 2. Learnt the art of making bricks and experienced the life of brick workers. 

Day 3. Learnt new art of making pots. What fun it was seeing clay getting molded in a new shape in seconds.

Day 4. Participants learnt about village life as well as the art of traditional embroidery and cooking.

 

Out of all levels Bronze, Silver and Gold. This residential project is most cherished.

-Submitted by Ekta Singh, Dyal Singh Public School, Jagadhri.

International Award Photography Competition

In July 2022, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation launched its first ever Global Photography Competition. After receiving more than 700 entries from over 50 countries, the panel of judges selected three winners and two special commendations.

We are thrilled to share that an entry from Harjeet, an Award Leader​ from ​India has received the special commendation!

Take a look at the winning entries here :
https://intaward.org/about/latest-news/international-award-photography-competition-winners-announced/

Congratulations to Harjeet and our entire Award Family!

Following is the photo submitted by Harjeet that has won special commendation at the Global Photography Competition : 

The Award in Action- Bronze Award Participant, Vidhi Agarwal from Vidya Devi Jindal School, Hisar

I am Vidhi Agarwal, a Bronze Award Participant from Vidya Devi Jindal School, Hisar and I visited the Town Park, Hisar for the Voluntary Service section of The Award Programme.

I participated in different activities and did social service by indulging with unprivileged children. I helped them to learn crafting of origami butterflies, prepared cards of different shapes and also highlighted how lack of hygiene could unleash various diseases and how those could be prevented via proper and effective measures. We also did many physical enrichment activities!

These activities helped the children to acquire new skills for life. I also distributed goodies which made the tiny tots cheerful. It is actually very true that "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
I developed a sense of empathy and understanding that will make this world a better place to be!

The Award in Action - Silver level Award Participants of Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata

 The Silver level Award Participants of Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata went to the Aravallis in Dhauj, Faridabad for an Adventurous Journey. Following is a writeup submitted to us by Kavya Gupta from 10-B, who is pursuing the Silver Level of the Award.

"We boarded the Duronto Express from Howrah at 8:35 a.m. on 14th October 2022 and divided ourselves into groups for assigning of cabins. The train journey consisted of lots of chitchats, games, and sightseeing outside the train window.
We reached Camp Wild Dhauj on 15th October in the morning (at about 8 am), after a bus ride from the New Delhi Station. We played team building games and divided ourselves into 4 groups or ‘ropes’. We had a brief know session and a bonfire at night.
We slept early to prepare for an early morning trek. The trek introduced us to thorny bushes, a scorching sun, and a beautiful view of a hidden lake for which we travelled around 5 km. We went back to the campsite through a tractor and got ready to zipline. We finished the day with dinner and a bonfire.
The next day and the day after encompassed rock climbing, rappelling, an obstacle course, and our last night at the camp. We prepared food in the evening ourselves, with one of us leading the whole process and teachers (Award Leaders) guiding us. We prepared paneer and aloo tikka, and saved some for later at the bonfire. We sat at the bonfire and reminisced about the whole trip, and what it taught us.
It was one of the first times we were in such an unfamiliar environment, and things like bathing in ice-cold water in the early mornings, or living with insects, rats, and lizards required some getting used to but we learnt to adjust and live with the basics. We were blessed with good food and friendly instructors who guided us at every step of the way.
On the 5th Day, we got ready early in the morning and visited a village near our camp site. The objective was to interact with the villagers to understand how they live their daily lives. We came to know about their language, their food habits, the problems that they face in everyday life, their festivals and recreation. We also visited a primary school to interact with the students there and spent the day with them.
On the 6th day, while coming back, we faced heavy traffic and stopped the bus to board the metro. We took 2 metros and got off at the New Delhi Station stop. From there, we each ran frantically with our luggage to the Railway Station. We were all tensed, nervous, and scared to miss our train but somehow we all made it just before the train departed.
The journey back to Kolkata was also memorable, and we all wished the trip would not end.
We all said our goodbyes on reaching back to Howrah Station, a place where we all once gathered excitedly to start our trips. This trip taught us a lot and gave us a lot of happy moments with our friends and teachers, becoming a memory to remember for a lifetime!"

- by Kavya Gupta,10-B, Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata