Education for 100 street children in India

This summer vacations there were multiple themes for the hobby classes. Ashraya also had many volunteers too coming from companies who were enthusiastic to help children build new skills. Below is a list of different sessions held during this summer:

 Science

The objective of the sessions was centred on science experiments and was to encourage and enable students to develop inquisitive thinking especially about the application of the topics from their academic curriculum. Also it helped in making the subject more interesting.

Students were given experiment kits based on various scientific principles or concepts. At least two experiments were performed every day. In one of the workshops, the children learnt how to build a water filter by using sand, pebble stones and coal. It was not only a lot of fun; it also taught them some practical craft skills. Considering that a lot of their families only have access to flowing water for 3-5 hours a day in their homes, this can be useful knowledge.

The students found this class and the activities very interesting. They would always look forward to the class the next day.

Dance

Dance which literally means “moving quickly and having fun” is the perfect way to incorporate exercise into kids’ lives in a fun easy way with numerous personal and social benefits.

Volunteers from BMC Software (an Information Technology company) held dance sessions for a month. The dance sessions involved high impact moves, like bouncing and jumping which became a workout. Students carefully followed and executed volunteer’s instruction. After the final class students were ready with completely prepared performances on different songs.

Students had a wonderful time during these classes and to express their gratitude to the instructors, arranged a mini farewell for them. They prepared beautiful hand-made cards to thank the volunteers for their efforts and time taken.

English

Another set of volunteers from ZS Associates conducted sessions to help student’s build fluent English communication skills. They started with the conventional way of teaching through an English curriculum though over a period of time they built a bond with children and introduced interactive activities which encouraged student’s to think and speak in English.

In one of the sessions students were given an English word and told to form sentences in a way that it all ties to become a story. In another session instructors picked objects from the surrounding and student’s had to make a sentence with respect to its usage. These session were fun packed where both students and volunteers had fun while learning and improving English skills.

Brain development

This is a new exercise introduced at Ashraya which aims to improve student learning skills through meditation. The instructor used various exercises to relax student’s mind and improve their memory power. She also explained them the science behind the memory power. There were also discussions about handling stress management during exams or performance pressure in academics. All these sessions helped student to build critical thinking skills and apply it in day to day academic assignments.

At AIC, we go to great lengths to celebrate events of national and international importance, as well as to take the children out and let them explore the world around them whenever possible. Our aim is to nurture awareness about current events and global issues and ensure our children have exposure to local/national history and culture, plus the opportunity to have fun and de-stress as children should! Recently, we took advantage of the brief lull that falls between the hustle and bustle of the Diwali/Christmas/New Year's holidays and the nose-to-the-grindstone exam period that begins in March to fit in some special fun.

On 27th February, we celebrated AIC's first annual Science Day across all grades. The students made interesting science projects, ranging from a homemade vacuum cleaner and a simulated volcano eruption to a model "green city" using basic materials available at home. The students put on an exhibition where they displayed their projects and spoke about different scientists and their discoveries. Parents, AIC teachers & program staff went through each project and listened attentively to explanations about the experiments and creations by the students.

Also this winter, AIC's pre-primary students and children in grades 1 to 3 visited a local amusement park called Appu Ghar. This trip was sponsored by FedEx, a courier and shipping services company. Volunteers from FedEx joined the children on the picnic and spent the day with them. Starting with a round of ice-breaking activities, the picnic involved many games and a drawing activity, which the children loved completing with their new pals from FedEx. In addition to games, the highlight of the picnic was the rides offered by Appu Ghar. Everyone got to enjoy not one, not two, but six rides in total. After a fun day, growling stomachs devoured a wonderful feast of pav bhaji. Before departing, the FedEx volunteers distributed first aid kits to the children as a parting gift. Suffice it to say, the children are still reminiscing about their fun-filled day at Appu Ghar! 

Around the same time, AIC students in grades 4 to 10 visited a local attraction known as Chauki Dhani, which is a recreation of a traditional Rajasthani village. The students loved experiencing Rajasthani culture and (especially!) food in the scenic setting. They also enjoyed a puppet show, a magic show and several rides in the park. They were accompanied by one of AIC's founding directors, Amber Wang, who was back visiting AIC after a number of years. When asked about her experience spending the day with AIC students, Amber replied, "I feel immense gratitude because the kids are thriving, from the youngest to oldest." 

Now that temperatures are heating up, AIC kids and staff are settling in for final exams and other end-of-year formalities - onward to summer!