Value Based Skills Oriented Quality Education

The last month of the year is here, and it’s time for us to offer our thanks and express gratitude to all those who’ve been with us on this incredible journey. In times of changing educational trends, our model of value-based skill-based quality education has been a steady rock since 1995, offering rural children the opportunity to not just set bigger goals in terms of education, but also lead more fuller lives. The testimonials of our alumnae are the testaments of our success, and we hope to shape the lives of many more students in the years to come. The journey to betterment has seen many developments in the past few months, with many dignitaries, such as TV anchor & famed actress Mrs Suma Kanakala, heads of organizations and students from various colleges visiting our campus. Here's a glimpse of the past few months.

Wholesome meals

In an initiative that provides healthy and nutritious food to the school students, BCT entered into a partnership with Feeding India, the non-profit wing of Zomato. A team from Feeding India Organization visited the premises on 17^th September, and has been providing food to all students and school staff from 18^th September onwards. This partnership has made it possible for students to have access to a wider variety of foods, that are both delicious, wholesome and nutritious. Seen enjoying their meals more than before, students are getting food such as puri, khichdi, payasam, biryani and a range of curries on a regular basis. Providing four meals a day, which include, breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner, BCT is hopeful for a long-term collaboration with Feeding India.

Academic enhancements

Making STEM education accessible for our rural school children, has been another focus area. In this regard, Mr. Nitin Desai, Head of Agastya International Foundation made a recce visit to BCT to forge a partnership towards this end. During his visit to BCT school in September, he interacted with the school staff and students. The children also showcased various folkart programs. As the first step towards the partnership between Agastya International and BCT, an Innvoation Hub is being established at BCT high School and later this will be converted into a hub and spoke model for at least 1000 school children in the region to be trained here.

Spark of creativity

Our students are extremely talented and continue to surprise us every day. In the past month, students of class 9 at the BCT Residential High school made a 4WD QuadBot robot car under the guidance of their teacher Mr. Sachin. They have also been taking active part in folk art performances and various competitions as well.

Festive celebrations

The past few months saw various festivals being celebrated on campus too. These included the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, Dusshera and Diwali. Children dressed up in colorful attire and celebrated with joy. They also got together to celebrate the BCT Foundation Day, marking the 49^th year of the organization.

Gratitude for teachers & celebrating childhood

5^th September marked Teachers Day, and the event was celebrated in school under the leadership of the 10^th graders. The 10^th class students conducted games for their teachers, and even awarded prizes to the winners. It was a fun-filled event, that brought joy to both the teachers and students.

On November 14th, BCT Residential High School students celebrated Children’s Day with immense joy and gratitude. A large credit for the bright smiles of the students goes to Feeding India, who gave amazing gifts that made this day extra special for our students. From goodie bags to exciting sports kits including badminton, frisbees, footballs, and cricket gear, children are cherishing every moment playing and enjoying these wonderful gifts.

The wealth of health

While quality food is provided to students and sports are encouraged, health parameters are constantly monitored as well. On 18^th September, Mr. Satyarao visited the school to conduct a health checkup for the students. These regular visits ensure that the growth parameters of children are on the right track.

Societal responsibility

Inculcating societal responsibility is another role that BCT plays, and to this end, students of BCT Residential High School celebrated the Constitution Day on 23rd November. BCT organized activities across 11 locations, including 8 high schools and 3 SMART Centers, impacting 2,163 people. This initiative highlights the significance of the Constitution and encourages individuals to incorporate its values and principles into their daily lives.

As August 15, 2024 marked the 78^th anniversary of India’s independence, it meant many things to us at the BCT residential high school. It served as a reminder of the work that we have been able to do over the past 47 years. It also marked the milestone of a journey and the distance we still have to go. As we work to hone our future generation with a deeper understanding of our cultural heritage and ready them for responsible citizenship, here are a few developments in the past few months, along with the story of a person, whose been part of the BCT journey since the start.

Bringing back Khadi

Khadi has often been called India’s fabric of freedom. With the image of Gandhiji spinning the charkha imprinted in our minds, learning to spin the thread from cotton has been an ongoing part of the school curriculum since the school’s inception. With students from grades 6 to 10 already spinning yarn, it was a lack of indigenous cotton and deep technical knowhow that we faced. Bridging that gap was Sri Nagendra Satish Poludas, Founder of Kora Design Collaborative. In the past month he visited BCT and observed the spinning activity undertaken by the young students. Tapping into the potential of school students spinning locally grown cotton into yarn, work is now on to train the trainers, build systems, and provide skill mentoring. We are excited to see this collaboration shape the journey forward.

Working with our people

Back in the early 1990s, options for girl children, especially those from rural families were limited. Most were married off as soon as they attained puberty, while a lucky few could complete their basic schooling in the interim. The life of Padmavathi, the third born daughter out of four sisters would have taken a similar path. However, with BCT school just starting out, she joined 5^th grade under the ‘Child literacy training program in card system’. Being a bright learner, she studied up till 10^th, focusing on academics and even vocational skills such as tailoring, agriculture, toy making with wood, spinning, folk dance etc. BCT programs gave her the platform of ‘grama swarajyam’, enabling her to fight illiteracy for many other girls like her. Unlike her peers, she completed a degree and a technical training course in tailoring and joined BCT as a skill teacher for tailoring. Today, she is the Vice Principal of the very school she began her journey in, and continues to empower and mould many like her.

Celebrating the citizens of tomorrow

Our young school students are the citizens of tomorrow, and it is our duty to prepare them well for a bright and responsible future. As the new session began in June, a new batch of school students became part of the BCT family. With academics starting for all of them, they were also organized into groups for vocational skills and folk arts. Practical and theory sessions started for the children, as volunteers from different walks of life spared time to teach the kids spoken English and other soft skills. The very talented batch of students, that included both the old students and new joinees also actively participated in the 15^th August celebrations, putting up a wonderful show that filled our hearts with joy. This year, around 20 old students also joined the celebrations, following which discussions were held with the school management for a collaborative association with the school.