Sponsor the education of a poor child by Purkal Youth Development Society

Education originated as the transmission of cultural heritage from one generation to the next. But today, educational goals encompass ideas such as the liberation of learners, skills needed for modern society, empathy, and complex vocational skills. It is no longer confined to the classroom and books. In order to dispense holistic education and to keep the ball rolling, a plethora of equipment is required on the school campus.

Regular school and ongoing expenses of our charitable Society left us with little opportunity and resources to organize and implement equipment that would enhance the learning abilities of our students. An extended period of lockdown, when children were off campus, was converted into an opportunity to plan and execute a revamp and upgrade of facilities on campus. Some of which are outlined below:

-The entire campus was Wi-fi enabled and Smart TVs were installed in all classrooms and laboratories. -The Primary section was extensively upgraded by installing new tables, chairs, cupboards, whiteboards and softboards. -The Girls hostel was expanded to accommodate twenty-four more girls and two wardens -The Tinkering laboratory was equipped with one 3D Scanner, three 3D printers, a Laser Cutter/Engraver, as well as eleven upgraded Central Processing Units (with i3 Processors, 8 GB RAM, 1 TB storage, and WI-FI enabled cards). -The Art Room was extended to include a pottery and a Serigraph section. Four computer systems, a SMART TV, equipment for batik and tie & dye were also installed. -The Physics, Chemistry and Biology Labs were painted, floors covered with PVC and whiteboards and flex banners were installed. -Twenty-six new computer systems were installed at various places on campus. -Rain sheds were constructed over the staircase leading to the primary section to prevent children from slipping during rains and the school generator area to protect it from the vagaries of weather. -A mixer-audio system was installed in the school auditorium to support co-scholastic activities and performances of students. -A total of three hundred and sixty dictionaries were distributed to students from classes VI to XII.

Vaccination Drive:

Three COVID vaccination drives were conducted on campus. The first was held on 15th January 2022 for students between the ages of fourteen to eighteen during which sixty-two students were vaccinated. In the next, one hundred and fifty students of the same age group were vaccinated on 21st February and a third drive was held on 4th April, when a hundred and twenty students aged twelve years and above were vaccinated.

Workshops:

A number of workshops and talks were organized in the first half of the year to facilitate an all-round educational experience. These are described briefly below:

Beatboxing workshop: A beatboxing workshop was held for classes I-VII and Navjeevan, that demonstrated to students the range of sounds possible in beatboxing and taught them simple methods to cultivate the skill.

MINDLER-PYDS Webinar on New Age Careers On 1st April 2022, Mindler, in association with PYDS, presented a webinar on STEM and Non-STEM careers, for class X students. It threw light on multiple career opportunities and new-gen careers available these days. It also showed students the methodology of exploring hundreds of career options and pursuing them.

Workshop for Teachers. A workshop was organized to help sensitize teachers towards recognizing and addressing the special needs of children with learning disabilities. It outlined in detail, methods to assess underlying causes of children’s behavior and outlined techniques and tools to engage with them to unlock their full potential.

Talk by Ms. Ranjona Banerji: A talk by Ms. Ranjona Banerji, renowned senior media affairs, politics and social trends journalist was organized on campus on 30th March 2022. She interacted with students of classes IX to XII and addressed the issue of fake news in the media and methods to check authenticity.

Teacher's training: Ms. Wazir: Subject teachers prepare lesson plans to utilize classroom time optimally and implement use of different styles to produce all-round learning outcomes according to the topic. Ms. Sanjala Wazir, Senior Education Advisor guided teachers on how to prepare plans that address students’ individual learning gaps.

Career in Artificial Intelligence: On June 1, Ms. Shalini Kapoor, who has an experience of three decades in the Tech industry, explained to the students the possible options for a career in Artificial Intelligence and how Artificial Intelligence can help them in their chosen domains. Ms. Kapoor gave students a list of renowned universities for Design and AI that they could consider applying to.

Challenges:

The challenges presented by COVID were multipronged and we tried our best to address them for the benefit of our students and their communities. The changing nature of the pandemic and subsequent government policies challenged us to innovate formats of teaching and learning. To solve this, several methods and techniques were devised to maximize student engagement over various platforms. A large number of children were unable to attend classes due to lack of a device at home. This was solved by a distribution of 56 mobile phones to students and 41 laptops to teachers, resulting in robust online attendance.

We went digital and successfully accomplished the following:

i) Conducted online classes and supported students by providing mobile phones and sustaining them with monthly data recharge. ii) Organized online teacher training workshops to enable them to conduct online classes efficiently. iii) A total of twenty-five Covid relief kits consisting of grains, pulses, cooking oil, spices and other daily necessities was provided to needy student families. iv) Supported extremely needy students by accommodating them in our hostel and caring for them in every possible way. v) Enhanced and repaired infrastructure on campus. vi) A onetime cash support of Rs. 30,000 was extended to the families of four students who had lost their father to COVID. vii) After Board Examinations, some of our teachers were required by CBSE for invigilation duties, the Students of Class X substituted as teachers to overcome the shortage of teaching staff in school.

Impact Story

On the foundation day of Swami Rama Himalayan University, Sania Khan was honored with a gold medal and merit certificate for topping the final year of her Bachelor of Physiotherapy program. Let’s go through her story in her own words.

“When I look back, I realize that my family background influenced me to be who I am today. My father, Israr Ahmad, always taught me to value myself and my true potential. I hail from Saharanpur, a town in Uttar Pradesh. My father worked in a steel and tin shop and had to quit because of his deteriorating health. He was incapable of working for long hours. My mother suffered from Edema (body fluid accumulation) yet played a crucial role in shaping our lives. Sadly, due to difficult financial conditions, she did not get proper treatment and succumbed to her illness. Financial constraints compelled me to drop out of studies. I was struggling with life and basic amenities, staring at a premature marriage, ignorance, and destitution when fate introduced me to PYDS. My conditions molded me into a hardworking, tolerant, cooperative, and passionate student. After class XII, I decided to pursue a Bachelors in Physiotherapy. I appeared for the admission test at Swami Rama Himalayan University and secured admission with AIR 58. I learned the basics of Physiotherapy and Electrical Modalities used in various treatments. My leadership skills helped me become class representative and I was able to manage every task sincerely. I have completed the final year of my course and currently, I am in the third month of a 6-month mandatory internship at my university. During the past 2 months, I was posted in the ICU where I independently treated patients for Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. Now I am posted in the Orthopedic Ward, attending to patients who need various kinds of orthopedic treatment. This exposure will help in boosting my confidence level and polish my skills. All this has been possible because of the kind support I got from Swamy Sir and PYDS, and my donors who have helped me throughout this journey. I am sure that my mother and Swamy Sir, from heaven, would be very happy watching me give my best. My parents’ desire has been to see me become successful with my honest efforts and be a change-maker in the family.”

Sania Khan, Intern Physiotherapy Swami Rama Himalayan University

With your support and help, we were able to conduct half-yearly examinations for classes VI-XII in school. The half-yearly results are reflective of the adjustment problems that students faced in the transition from traditional classroom learning to distance education and back, namely loss of conceptual clarity, focus on practical experiments and timely assignment submissions, and verbal and articulation problems. With the return of children to school and the resumption of classes, these examinations have given critical insights to our teachers, who are working hard to identify and address learning gaps and skill erosion that happened during the lockdown in students individually and at the group level. After a year and a half of being at home and juggling the demands of school and housework, our children happily returned to campus. On August 24th, 2021, we welcomed 138 students (60-day scholars and 78 residential)—Phase 1 of the physical re-opening of our school. In the second phase, all students from Class IV to XII were brought back to campus. On October 25, 2021, in a long-anticipated moment, the excited voices of our younger students once again filled the buses, corridors, and slopes of PYDS as students returned to school after almost two years. They shared sweets with each other, compared their heights, and commented on new things around the campus. All our staff were present to welcome these bubbly children back to campus. The children were happy to be with each other and in their familiar surroundings. All of them eagerly shared their home experiences in their first session.

With the increased integration of online sources and distribution of mobile devices to our students to facilitate online learning during the lockdown, it was observed that the children were also becoming more susceptible to the negative side effects of digital integration. Illustratively, one of these side effects is an increasing exposure to social media, which has begun to heavily influence their view of the world. This is leading to a host of distortions and loss of focus in their minds. To address this, our Principal, Mrs. Arati Nagaraj, has devised a curriculum around Digital Citizenship. The intent of this effort is to encourage students to become good digital citizens and develop a common approach and attitude towards digital devices and social media. Sessions under the curriculum have begun in December for classes IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, XI. These sessions have been engaging and self-reflective. Sessions for classes X and XII will be started soon. Till December 1, 2021, as per government guidelines, class timetables were reduced to 4 hours. The rest of the time was used by teachers to identify learning gaps, modify lesson plans, implement assessment of any knowledge and skill erosion that took place during the lockdown, and work on students’ verbal articulation and conceptual understanding. As of December 1, 2021, the school resumed its normal schedule of scholastic and co-scholastic activities, as a consequence of which all students from classes 4 to 12 were in school from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. With the government again announcing the closure of schools in January 2022 due to the rising number of Corona infections in the state, our strategies to achieve our goals will be undergoing another iteration of reflection and adaption. As we continue to strengthen ways to maintain the quality of our attention and focus on the holistic development of every child, we are grateful for the lessons we have learnt and the competencies we have developed during the last lockdown. We are confident that we can build on these to make our model more effective and sustainable.

Progress report of Archita Dhiman Class 10A

Archita is an active child who listens and follows directions. She takes an active role in group discussions. She has demonstrated very good progress in the last few months. Though her pre-boards result was average, she is working hard and trying to give her best. She is facing challenges in understanding some concepts in computer science and mathematics, and she has been taking some extra classes to overcome this. During COVID-19, her father lost his job. Her mother runs a cosmetic shop, but she has not been earning any profit for the last year due to the pandemic. Her father is a driver by profession, and he is still looking for a job. Archita’s younger brother is studying in a private school and, due to inadequate earnings, they were not able to pay his fees on time, which led to his dismissal from the school. Now, after a few months, he has been admitted to another school. The last two years have been very tough for the family. During online classes too, she faced challenges due to the unavailability of the smartphone, as two siblings were sharing the smartphone and there were clashes in their timetable. Then our school started evening sessions, and Archita started attending those sessions and her brother the morning ones. Archita had also not been keeping well for the last two months. This hindered her academic progress. Nevertheless, since October, she has been working hard and seems to be quite serious about her board exams. Once in Social Studies Class, she took the lead in locating the major dams in the evening class. After the class, she was appreciated for her delivery. She even promised to complete her work and continue her active participation in class. She also explained the role of revolutionaries in the rise of nationalism in Europe. It was the first time she took this opportunity and showed brilliant execution. Though Archita is facing challenges in her personal, academic, and social life, she and her family are standing tall against these situations and trying their best. Her teachers are also very supportive of her and motivate her from time to time.

PREBOARDS EXAM RESULT English 24/40 HINDI 23/40 MATHS 22/40 Science 27/40 SST 31/40 COMPUTERS 17/25 TOTAL 144/225

This program benefits the students of PYDS Learning Academy situated in village Purkal on the outskirts of Dehradun. From this year onwards, CBSE has decided against streaming students into Science, Commerce, and Arts after Class XI. We welcome CBSE’s decision to allow a wider combination of subject choices for students.We have created 9 subject combinations for students to choose from. Each combination is aligned to career options. We are using 3 points of reference for subject selection for each student:● CogitoHub aptitude and personality test report● Student preferences● Teacher recommendationWe think that students to use backward mapping potential careers that students could pursue, as that is our mission - ADEQUATE EMPLOYABILITY. We conducted final assessments on campus for classes VI-XII. These were a combination of single-subject projects, multi-subject projects, and written assessments.After the finals assessment, we decided to address the attendance, engagement, and performance of students for class I-XII at the Parent-Teacher Meetings PTM’s.Due to students attending online classes for most of the year, we had a few standout failures and borderline students. Therefore, we instituted a plan that placed students in 3 categories and got written consent from all parents for the following:· Promotion to the next class – students who performed well were promoted· Probation – The borderline students were temporarily promoted. For promotion, all these students must have a) 100% online attendance from mid-April to mid-June b) must score 75% and above in all subject assessments· Hold back - repeat the class due to very poor attendance and performance leading to significant learning loss by the studentProbationers were helped in filling learning gaps by devoting instructional time daily via a) regular classes b) remedial sessions. As a result of students’ hard work and our efforts, all borderline students of Class IX are now promoted to Class X. We have also been able to raise funds and distribute mobile devices to a larger number of children, who were unable to attend classes owing to a lack of devices at home. We believe that we will be able to see better outcomes as a result of these steps during the current academic year. To date, we have distributed 30 mobile phones and tablets.Consequently, we have been able to maintain our online learning efforts at a very high level since our new Academic session began on 22 April 2021. We have learned from the previous academic year that our students fall into four categories, based on their connectivity and access:· Those with no access· Those with multiple siblings, so shared devices hence limited access· Those with limited access because parents needed their device when they go to work· Full accessOur focus for this year has been to enhance levels of student attendance and engagement. We made a timetable such that students had the option to attend either morning or evening (or both) sessions. Teachers teach the same course content at both sessions.Time (Morning) Time (Evening)8:00 - 8:50 AM 5:00 - 5:50 PM9:00 - 9:50 AM 6:00 - 6:50 PM10:00 - 10:50 AM 7:00 - 7:50 PM This flexibility has had the desired result of securing very high attendance from the students. Our effort to give warnings on probation and holding students back has also led to higher engagement in online classes. In addition, our teachers have eagerly embraced project-based learning, experiential learning, and activity-based learning. These are expected to further enhance the student’s learning levels in the coming months.Students’ regularity in online classes is tracked every month. Teachers contacted the parents of those students who did not attend classes. They made sure to consider the reason behind the absence of students and an official record is maintained for their absence with the class teachers and Principal. For this quarter, the attendance of Class X (A) and X (B) has been 90.1% and 93.45%.Several Subjects activities were conducted, some of these were:· Activity 1- Debate CompetitionThe topic of the debate was ‘Do Modern Parents Spoil their Children?’ this activity was conducted to test the analytical and evaluation skills of the students. Also, to develop the ability to analyze, select and evaluate, construct and refute arguments.· Activity 2- Diary WritingThe entire class participated in this activity. Students were asked to write a diary on their encounters with stray animals around them on daily basis. This activity was conducted to develop writing skills in students and to create kindness and sensitivity towards animals. · Activity 3- Project on Bengal Famine 1943 This activity was conducted to make students aware of various historical moments like World War and their impact on various countries. The entire class participated in this activity. · Activity 4- Anti Tobacco DayOn 31 May, all students participated in the activity it was organized to understand the causes and effects of tobacco and to generate awareness against it. Aman’s work was the most appreciated.

After a challenging year, we had hoped for 2021, but the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases crippled the healthcare system of the State quite significantly. Given the spread and intensity of the pandemic, we are girding ourselves for another long bout of distance/ online learning by our students. However, basis our learnings of last year, we have modified the structure of our timetable to better align it with the children’s home schedule and device availability. Our teachers have simultaneously modified their teaching techniques and enhanced their level of parental engagement, given that the children are at home full time. For the next 6 months, we plan to reopen school systematically, we would also further strengthen our distance learning infrastructure to have sufficient options to conduct uninterrupted and effective learning. Plans for the Current Academic Year 2021-22· Secure quality admissions and scholarships for the students passing out so that it is at par with last year· Manage learning loss, attitude erosion, and preserving social skills among the students, despite limitations of distance learning and lack of a formal school atmosphere· Develop physical digital infrastructure on the school campus - e.g. classrooms, library, labs - so that technology can continue to be used for teaching and learning post-pandemic· Equip teachers with technology tools and training so that they are efficiently imparting classes online, documenting their academic work and up-skilling themselves to use these methods of instruction, post-pandemic.Priorities Area for Next Quarter· To analyze results from first quarter formative assessments and monitor students accordingly for all the classes· Class X - ensure the accurate subject selection and transition to Class XI· Continue staff development programs - personal and professional goals· Mobile Distribution for distance learning

Impact story:Student Name – Anjali SemwalFather Name – Mr. Dharmender SemwalMother Name – Mrs. Ambika SemwalClass – X B Background of the familyAnjali lives with her family in Jaspur village. Her father Dharmender is a native of village Saur, Uttarkashi, Uttrakhand.Dharmender and his five elder brothers used to share a small ancestral house.Anjali is studying with us along with his younger brother Piyush who is in Class VIII (B) while her elder brother Ayush is studying in XI Standard with Doon Valley SchoolStatus of the houseAnjali’s family has migrated to Dehradun 4 years ago; they stay in their independent house consisting of two rooms, cum kitchen, and a washroom. Her Academic Progress and ParticipationAnjali Semwal is a well-behaved and brilliant child. She faces connectivity problems at her house due to which she is unable to attend her online classes regularly. This has resulted in her taking a casual approach to online learning. Teachers are motivating her to be more focused on her studies. Despite her irregularity, she has been able to score 70-75 % on informative assessments. She needs to work hard in science. During remedial education, she has improved a lot in English grammar. She participated in various competitions like Hindi Sulekh, English- Hindi, and Hindi-English translation.

Stepping into the ninth month of online learning, we have been persistently making efforts to enhance the quality of learning by finding innovative ways to engage with our students. We are continuously striving to extend our support for the holistic development of our students.
NITI Aayog has acknowledged our tinkering efforts by recognising PYDS Learning Academy as the Atal Innovation Mission (ATL) School of the Month in Uttarakhand for May. We extend our gratitude to NITI Aayog on behalf of the whole PYDS team.

The lockdown helped elicit the hidden potential, talents and creativity of both our teachers and students. There has been a lot of reflection and experimentation by both, helping to devise newer methods of learning/teaching processes that will leave an enduring impression on our students.

Teachers have become proficient in utilizing modern technology. Earlier they used to utilize it only for general purposes like data entry, preparing lesson plans and question banks. Now they are using technology as an active pedagogical tool and to procure learning resources.
Students have become self-reliant and independent learners. They carry out self-study through research and experiment. This has also led them to extended learning and become aware of the value of an inter-disciplinary approach to education. This novel approach is being supported and encouraged by their teachers.
On the occasion of International Day of Yoga on 21st June 2020 students participated by submitting their videos and pictures performing different Yoga Asanas.

We imbibe values of environmental protection in our students and sensitize them towards preserving it. This, after all, is our ethos as a responsible social organisation. We are happy to share that we celebrated ‘Harela – Day of Green’ which marks the onset of the monsoon in Uttrakhand, by planting trees on our School campus and increasing awareness among our students about the best practices to protect our natural resources.
Department of School Education and Literacy’s Integrated Teacher Training Programme, NISHTHA was attended by PYDS Teachers to help them improve the Quality of School Education through Integrated Teacher Training. These were conducted from 15 October to 30 November on topics including:
Curriculum and Inclusive Learning, Health and Wellbeing in Schools, Integrating Gender in the Teaching-Learning Process, Integration of Information and Communication Technology, Art Integrated Learning, CBSE Pedagogy of Environmental Science.

Educating young minds

Apart from academic growth, our support extends to the physical, emotional, social and intellectual care of the child. In January, our girls won the Khel Mahakumbh U-17 State Level Volleyball Tournament. One of our students played the U-14 State Level Volleyball Tournament where her team won the Silver Medal. Ashita Penouli from class 8(A) has been selected for the National under 14 team. She would be going shortly to Lucknow to play in the finals. Our boys’ and girls’ Basketball team competed in the under 14 Basketball Competition. Our girls’ team was the runner up team while the boys’ team secured 3rd position. Lots of activities were undertaken in the Tinkering Lab, a learner's space where our students love to spend their time. They've been working on something or the other since its commencement in 2018. During the last quarter, some teams were assigned a task of creating Robo-Cars which pitted against each other. Our comprehensive medical care ensured the well being of every student. Medical clubs were weekly held for preventive health measures. Some volunteers from Griffith University took a session on oral hygiene. Like the medical club, several other hobby-specific-clubs were also held. These clubs help students hone the skills for which they have a flair. This New Year 2020 began with a memorable trip to Gujarat where a group of 56 (50 students and 6 teachers) experienced the rich Gujarati history, heritage, and culture. The Pushkin Chandra Memorial Competition was organised on 17th February. This competition entails Story Narration and Poem Recitation in both English and Hindi by the students of classes 1-5. It was instituted by Mr. Anil Chandra in the memory of his son Pushkin and has been held every year since 2012.

Program Update

This quarter witnessed a more academic environment on the school campus, with final term exams in March. After the celebrations for India’s Republic Day and the school’s investiture ceremony, focus was largely on the revision of the annual syllabus. Surveying and identification of beneficiaries for the next academic session also took place during this quarter. 12th graders were also busy with college applications and were counselled on their choices. Other activities included Olympiads, essay-writing and poetry competitions, both in and out of the school. A few medical issues were also reported and taken care of in time.

Story from the field

Happy Singh came to PYDS 5 years ago and was awed by the world of circuits and mechanics introduced by his Physics teacher. Fast-forward from there and the Tinkering Laboratory, a NITI Aayog initiative, was inaugurated at school in October’18 by Hon’ble CM of Uttarakhand.
From image-processing to Arduino programming to 3D-printing to Raspberry Pi, Happy Singh excitedly grabbed the opportunity to learn about all the futuristic equipment brought into the tinkering lab. He along with Kashish Aswal, a grade younger, submitted a solution titled Re-purposing Women's Fashion into Self-Defence Equipment, at a competition organized by INTEL “Make Tomorrow for Innovation Generation”. The project and the confident delivery of it to the presenters, was among the Top 10 Finalists.
This was a big achievement for a boy like Happy, who has been raised in a family with innumerable economic limitations. In his own words, “I aspire to become a Software Engineer. I am learning lots of new things about electronics and circuits and how things work and how software is used to drive different machines.” His teachers say it, as does his excitement – the impact of technology on campus has given him a dream to work towards in the future.

Program Update

A new academic session started in early April and we took in more beneficiaries under our care. Over the year, we exposed children to a number of field visits, mostly within the city. On International Yoga Day, a group of 250 students was bussed to the venue where the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi celebrated the occasion with asanas and the healing powers of meditation.

Students of the biodiversity club enjoyed bird-watching and explored rare species during their educational and heritage walks. The artists underwent a treat in the form of pottery and creative skill workshops organized by volunteers and partner schools.

Over the term, some of our students excelled in inter-school and district sports competitions and dance/art activities held in the city. Practices have now commenced in full swing for the upcoming Sanskrit Dance Drama to be enacted at the School's Annual Day celebrations.

A diversified group of volunteers have also visited for brief periods to help children in sports, film-making, music and more often than these, soft skills most essential for a holistic growth.

Story from the field

Akash Pal is a diligent scholar who, with an aptitude for science, scored an impressive 91% in the class 10th CBSE examination. He is one of our ideal students who takes advantage of every opportunity that the school provides. Hard working and extremely gifted, he excels in art and sports and has brought many laurels to the school.

Questioning him about the future he envisions, he says "I want to pursue Architecture as a career. I want to create new structures of buildings. I want to create futuristic technology houses which are smart and secure". To assist him in this ambition, we have enrolled him in a coaching institute in the city where he attends preparatory classes for the NATA or JEE B.Arch. exam so that he can join a good college.

At the young age of 8, Akash and his two brothers witnessed their father, an uneducated mason, take to alcohol and later attempt suicide. The family was deep in hospital debt when we rescued them from a failed life. Akash's mother started training, working and then earning monthly wages with the help of Purkal Stree Shakti Samiti, a sister concern focusing on women empowerment.
Support could mean that all three brothers, who have learnt lessons from their father's misbehaviour, will make a life into normality and away from innate poverty.