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CAMPS
A participative group presentation by the students in the camp conducted at Sirsi
Many Vidya Poshak students who complete their graduation are still lacking the skills, confidence, and awareness needed to be gainfully employed and contributing citizens to society. Students are faced with challenges such as language barriers, lack of resources, and a gap between what is learned in the academic system and what is really needed in the main stream society.
Objective:
Vidya Poshak is enhancing its training component through camps. In 2007, Vidya Poshak has implemented three camps for more than 120 students. It is believed that training through residential camps for successive days, with a planned curriculum, as well as continuing to train the same batch of students throughout their college years, will have the most impact on students.
Camp One – Summer Camp
- One – month residential camp held at BVB College, Hubli
- 54 of the toppers of S.S.L.C. and NMT were selected and trained
- Training was given on spoken English, computer basics, personality development, career awareness, and life skills
"Little kindnesses...will broaden your heart, and slowly you will habituate yourself to helping your fellow man in many ways." --Zadik
- Highlights:
- Large demand by students – each student invited came on registration day
- At the beginning, students were fearful of a new environment and change; by the last day, students were not ready to leave.
- Students demonstrated increased confidence, spoken English skills, and overall motivation to aim for higher goals
Camp Two – “8 – Day Camp for PUC I Arts and Commerce”
- 29 of the top PUC I Arts and Commerce students trained for 8 days in Haveri
- 97% of students from vernacular medium and 100% from vernacular – medium schooling
- Training stressed on spoken English, personality development, computer awareness, and study skills.
- New impact: focused on a “student – leadership” oriented approach. All students were given leadership roles and more emphasis on student – centered workshops.
- Additional inputs: open library in common space with more than 100 books, magazines, and daily newspaper, icebreakers on the first day, and encouraged to mix with all students.
- Majority of students expressed that it was the first time in their lives that they were encouraged to speak up, ask questions, or display their true talents.
Camp Three – “8 – Day Camp for Degree I students – B.A., B.Com, BBA, etc”
- 40 of the top non-professional Degree I students trained on the above same areas
- New topics included “Self – Awareness” and daily yoga in the morning
- Students really felt the urge to make changes in their lives, studies, and communities around them.
Future:
- All of the same batches above will be continuously invited for future camps throughout their college years with evolving curriculum aimed to make them successful upon graduation
- Additional camps for more students in the future
- Commitment from all students to keep in touch with Vidya Poshak through letters regarding their development in between camps.
- Students currently studying in Kannada medium are encouraged to migrate to English medium and take on leadership roles during their college days.
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