Description:
This is my CAS project with my friends – Rishi Chandak and Harit Khadepaw – where we will raise resources(mainly stationary) and use them to teach underprivileged children from a government school near my house. This session will help them learn how to paint with water/poster colors. This project consists of 3 phases first is planning. In planning we will decide when will the 2 sessions take place? How many volunteers do we require? Do we need an art teacher for guidance? What is the flow of the even? In the second stage, we will conduct the two sessions and help them to learn how to sketch, paint and draw. In the last and final stage, we will give them ice cream to appreciate the work they have done and we will donate the school whatever resource we have collected so they can continue the work.Planning:
While brainstorming ideas for our CAS project we found out that art an important aspect in any curriculum was not offered in government schools in India. We decided to act upon it and thought of conducting the project, ‘Art for Everyone’ on local ground. So, we reached out to one of the government schools nearby and interacted with them about the issue and sought permission to carry out sessions in which the students will explore basic art skills. We decided to spend some more time with the children who weren’t much aware of arts and gave them the opportunity to share palettes of colors and smiles. We discussed and decided we will not buy new resources but will pool in resources we have and ask others to also donate resources which they don’t use any more. To implement this we sought permission from our school and kept boxes across school premises in which any student can donate any of their extra resources. While the interaction with the school authority we got to know that there are around 50 students in the session. We were quite sure that we will not be able to handle all the students so we decided that we can ask our batchmates if they want to volunteer. Hence, we made a google form and circulated the form to our peers. Art as a subject is very diverse, we needed someone to guide us on how to go about teaching the same to the students. We looked at potential candidates for the job and realized we have an interested art teacher from our school. Rahul Sir was the one for the guidance and he was very enthusiastic about the same.Reflection:
LO 3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
This project’s Idea first popped in my head, I knew the challenges, flow, and details about the project. This helped me organize myself and my team members. Everything was clear once we all sat down for brainstorming and idea sharing. This act helped us when we were actually on the day of the session because we did not have any confusion about the project. The plan of this project was very sensitive and this why we three decided everything together. We also passed on this information to our volunteers so that there are no issues there. This is the project where I found I can be an organized leader because everything worked out as planned. And this activity helped me as a person to become a better leader. It is important to plan an activity of this kind because it makes sure it goes smoother and as planned. This also ensures the success of a project like this.LO 4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
While teaching the children there we all showed politeness and patience to show that we care and understand their needs. We worked on this project for about two and a half months, including planning and 2 sessions of art at the government school. It took a lot of commitment and perseverance to make this project work. I was very excited about the project which is why I did not have any difficulty to commit to this activity.LO 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
I have always been an art lover, I also make sketches, drawings, and paintings regularly. This activity also gave me an opportunity to showcase my skills to the students who need to get exposure to arts and crafts. As mentioned above there were about 50 students from grade 5-8 which was a challenge in itself to manage so many kids by ourselves. This is where my team members and volunteers backed me out, we worked cooperatively to make this project successful and to put smiles on those kid’s faces. The good part is that we all understood the aim/purpose of the project and everyone was aware of their roles and flow of the event. I really loved the spirit of the volunteers and my team members to such a good cause.LO 6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Art for everyone made me realize how important resources are and how we can access it so easily when many people in this world can not do so. This project helped me understand the importance of resources and how we should respect them. We saw the happy faces when they got all those paints, brushes, pencils, and other stationery. This project also made me realize the importance of literacy rates around the world and how education, which is a necessary aspect of our lives is lacking in many parts of the world.LO 7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
This activity involved talking and interacting with children who study government schools in India, which involved giving them respect and understand their needs and problems. We discussed how not to hurt them in any way possible because they come from a poor background and not pass around jokes. This was very crucial to make them feel as if they are our friends. We also needed to consider fair and equal use of resources available to the kids present in each session. This is because we wanted to treat them equally without any biases and discrimination. We also donated all the resources which were left to the school and asked them to continue our work after the sessions are over.Final take away:
This project taught me many things about myself and this world. I learned that I am a good leader when I work as an autocratic leader and with a hard working and loyal team as I got during this project. I cannot thank my friends enough to support me in this project and help me to put a smile on those kids faces. This activity also helped me understand the value of resources to an individual and is helping me in not buying unnecessary things. I also came to know the importance of basic education like arts.
