The world is opening up to new possibilities. With major advancements in technology and culture, it is now more than ever important to build value systems that are empathetic towards the needs of society as a whole. With this thought in mind, an emerging NGO in Noida - Sadrag, is trying its best to get the underprivileged students in India to complete their early childhood education.
Having tracked the progress made by Sadrag NGO, especially in the last few months, we decided to contribute towards their cause by conducting our monthly Social Welfare through Education (SWE) activity for the month of December with their students. The event was planned and the activity was scheduled for 28/12/2021.
The Target Demographic
Before initiating this social work activity, it was essential for us to determine our target demographic. This would go on to form the basis for our research and help us design workshop content, activities, and interactive games that would appeal to these students.
The children came from economically weaker sections of the society and were in the age bracket of 12-16 years.
Our team of Psychologists analysed the trends in education and identified what works best for students in this age group. Our research pointed out that it is easy for students at this age to get deviated from their academic goals and lose motivation as they fail to take accountability for their future. To eliminate this concern so that the students can have a smooth learning experience in the coming years, our team decided to conduct a session on motivation and leadership. However, unlike a regular workshop which is more theory oriented, we decided to make the session interactive with practical and experience-based learning modules.
Making the Arrangements
Once the theme of the workshop was finalised, and the content was designed in accordance with the theme, it was time to arrange the necessary tools to make this workshop a success. From designing the props that we would use for the session to arranging pamphlets and gifts for the students, the whole experience was enriching. It gave our team members an opportunity to interact and bond with each other beyond work. During this process, we also ideated specific growth opportunities for these students in the coming years and how SSSi could actively keep contributing so that no child gets left behind. After all, all the employees at SSSi collectively work towards executing one common vision:
“To elevate the progress of human civilisation through cognitive refinement of the student
community by helping them connect, interact, and engage with the world’s best online
educators.”
Execution of the SWE Activity
On reaching Sadrag NGO facility in sector 6, Noida, we were greeted by a warm welcome. The students gave us “we are friends” badges. The facility coordinator explained to us that this is a ritual they follow at Sadrag NGO wherein they welcome all new members associated with the organisation (in any form) and make them a part of the family. Our team was touched and humbled by this gesture. It only boosted our spirits in providing them with the best knowledge that we possibly could. It also reflected the positive impact that social work in India is creating on young minds.
The session opened with an ice-breaking activity. Within 15 minutes, the students started opening up with our team and started sharing their stories. This relationship between our team and the students was built on the virtues of trust and friendliness.
Having listened to the students carefully and understanding their stories, we then progressed to the theme of our workshop - motivation. We used the stories shared by the students as examples to show how people react to challenges and how our reactions shape our future selves.
The session then moved on to how we should take accountability for our actions, which served as a smooth segway into our conversation on leadership. Various types of leaders were identified, and their key traits were discussed. Along the way, we played role-play-based games wherein students were divided into teams and allotted specific responsibilities. Their reactions to being assigned these responsibilities were evaluated, and an open discussion was subsequently conducted discussing the reasons behind the way different students responded to the same situation.
After an in-depth explanation and analysis on the topics mentioned, we decided to conclude the session with a fun dance-cum-drawing game wherein students were expected to draw their emotions and thoughts based on the music they were listening to. This allowed them an opportunity to pen down their thoughts through creative art and expression.
Finally, the two-hour workshop concluded with a gift distribution ceremony. All the students were provided attractive gifts that they could take home as souvenirs and remember the learnings they had acquired through this session.
Conclusion
Students are blossoming blobs of energy, enthusiastic to learn at every step. It is therefore surprising that our education system manages to turn information and fascinating ideas into a form that is so hard to consume that the students get bored and find reasons to skip classes.
At SSSi Online Tutoring Service, we are committed to providing skill-based education that can help the students in discovering and exploring the world around them and can turn them into efficient leaders of tomorrow. Social work is therefore a key part of the way we operate. However, we also offer paid academic courses such as class 11 Political Science tutoring and skill-building courses such as effective English communication. If you wish to propagate the idea of helping the society, studying Social Science in India can help you understand the dynamics of social work better.
In the coming months, we aim to widen the scope of our SWE activity so that we can reach as many students as possible and help the section of the population that cannot afford to avail our paid services. We look forward to creating a sustainable ecosystem for modern education in India so that our country can continue to produce global leaders across all domains.
