Learning through community work: The next way to learn!
Charity may begin at home but sometimes needs to be taken to school along with the lunch box and water bottle. And community service is charity without the condescension. It’s a way of giving back to the society you come from. There are so many small and large ways in which students all over the country can participate actively in the society around us. Sure, academics and sports are important, but for a full rounded grown one must develop a feel for those around us who could use a helping hand. Many schools and educational institutes have a social service department and carry out community service activities on a daily basis, with the help of clubs and societies, whose members are recruited from the student body.
The time and energy that you invest in such work is voluntary, though it is encouraged because it builds character, experience and empathy. It also creates awareness not only among the recipients but also among the volunteers. The presence of such clubs within schools has become almost a necessity with CBSE and other nationwide educational boards bringing in programs that make community service mandatory.
CBSE’s presence in Community Work
CBSE, in 2006, had introduced the National Service Scheme(NSS) into their schools. The NSS is a centrally sponsored scheme with primary focus on the development of personality of students through community service. It was started in 1969 and now present in class XI and above in CBSE schools. Though the service would exist within the school the participation of the students would be entirely voluntary.
Other efforts taken in this direction
CBSE and the NSS have not been the only educational institutions to apply themselves to such projects. Given below are two more examples of the ongoing efforts into building a community of service:
Recently the School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, launched an exchange program with the Tata Institute for Social Sciences in Mumbai, in an effort to learn about each other’s cultures and how organizations in both countries confront poverty and economic disadvantages.
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in the village of Devarahalli, Davanagere, won the seventh e- India- 2011 Award, for their attempt to redress community issues, especially in making women self reliant. Besides classroom teaching, the students have been encouraged to involve themselves in community- development programmes. The students were organized into batches of eight, who took up community project under the guidance of teachers, and created awareness among the locals about their problems and possible solutions.
Courtesy: Ruth K Live & Learn
