By Elizabeth Sholtys | Director
As 2017 was winding down, plans were underway for AIC's second annual Girls' Leadership Retreat! This year's event was held in December at Avanti Kalagram in the scenic Mulshi valley and was facilitated by Mr. Rajendra Bahalkar from the Ten Stone Social Institute. Mr. Bahalkar has conducted over 700 workshops of this type, so we were excited to benefit from his guidance and support. In total, 20 girls from AIC's high school and junior college classes were selected to attend.
After a lengthy drive in the AIC bus (made slightly lengthier by a wrong turn or two!), the girls were relieved to arrive at their destination. The activity-based morning session was kicked off with songs and ice breakers, followed by various games and sessions focused on team-building, creative thinking, communication skills, problem-solving, positivity and confidence, and leadership skills.
Group work was structured such that the girls were separated from their usual classmates and friends to encourage relationships and interactions outside of their normal social circles, and the games touched on topics ranging from how to give and take constructive criticism to the influence of the mainstream media. The morning session concluded with the girls writing letters to themselves about their dreams and aspirations, and identifying ways in which they could overcome obstacles standing in the way of these goals using the skills and talents within themselves.
After a quick break for lunch, the girls were divided into two groups to complete a crafts session, with an emphasis on creativity, perserverence, self-confidence, and concentration.
The two crafts were pottery and bamboo art, and the students were thrilled to try their hand at something completely new and different. They were especially excited when they realized that after a quick demonstration from the artisan trainer, they were able to make small pots on the wheel, and they showed commendable effort and concentration crafting baskets of flowers out of bamboo. It was especially heartening to see the girls encouraging each other to try again if their pots broke or their flowers weren't turning out the way they wanted them to.
After a long, tiring, but very worthwhile day, the girls headed back to Pune. Upon regrouping about their experiences at the retreat, Smita, in Standard 12, mentioned that at the beginning of the morning session she felt "skeptical but the activities got me thinking and reinforced my confidence," as well as "proving that I have the skills to lead a team and I could be in a similar role in my future job." Similarly, Bhagyashree noted that she now understands what the AIC teachers and counselors mean when they encourage her to be resourceful and make use of what she has instead of giving up.
Reflecting on the crafts session, Suman was amazed that she was able to make a professional-looking pot and bamboo flowers on her own, with minimal assistance from the trainer, and Manjeet showed admirable persistence and determination throughout the pottery process, even though her pot kept breaking. In the end, she completed a slightly crooked but intact pot, and was very proud of her achievement.
All in all, the girls felt that they had gained quite a lot from the experience, and they are already looking forward to the 3rd annual Girls' Leadership Retreat next year!
By Elizabeth Sholtys | Director
By Elizabeth Sholtys | Director
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