May 7 2024:
Grateful to Maitreyee to invite me to contribute to their summer program with the high schoolers of Dream School Foundation. My best wishes always
Thank you Anupama, Hanna, Helena, Lennart, Likhita, Ravindra, Ramya, Ms Shubha, Ms. Rajalakshmi, and all the wonderful bachchas with whom I got to spend the whole day of May 7 2024
Special mention to the feeling of community togetherness and friendship during lunch with the team . Unforgettable
Journey of storytelling, the arts, light and joy, learning, sharing, growing
listening to our hearts
Thank you Dream School Foundation – mentioned in their post
To more moments together Was wonderful and dream and hope filled to speak with Maitryee about the youth , their dreams, self discovery journeys and mental health.
October 17 2024
Beautiful day yet again with the bachchas
It was a pleasure to meet the Grade 8 Bachchas at Boot camp on October 17th 2024. An initial conversation with Ravindra led me pondering on doing a storytelling-based session where the children feel confident to express. He also mentioned this group knew each other and the familiarity will help them express and share more.
The session began after an introduction. I was delighted to see the children. Mentioned a few guiding thoughts – like being kind to self and friends as we share and listen, being curious and adopting wonder and to try.
This was followed by a warm up game / energizer on the lines of: wave your hand if, bow your head if, questions such as – who among us are 13/14. Who among us cry during movies. More such questions. Love travelling. Movies. We discovered one of our friends speaks 6 languages! Children asked questions related to anime, cricket, rcb , dhoni. When I prodded to ask a question to which all of us will say yes to – One child asked whoever likes chocolate. And got all Yeses. Pani puri wasn’t left behind either!
A closed eyes gentle visualization of all of us being part of a forest and a gentle nudge to imagine us to be some thing or someone in the forest. Many elements came up – sky, rain, tree (a tree that felt happy that they give oxygen!), lion, “hunter”, birds, “a tiger cub”, sparrows, a traveler, mountain, waterfall, lonely boy Mowgli, dreamer, “resting near a stream” and so on. They seem to have appreciated the beauty, freedom and peace in the forest. Many of the students felt like more than element. Felt they found it relaxing. Many images , colours , words , emotions came up. (the nudge was I am a/an___ in the forest and I …. )Many children started writing more than one sentence and even started drawing. Some children shared some were a bit hesitant, but all of the warmed up to imagine and write on paper. Really appreciated that.
Then with a story template for guidance, groups were encouraged to write and share stories and include drama, song, drawing, poem whatever felt like being part at that moment. Among themes of kindness, freedom, not giving up, and friendship there was a group that spoke of not bunking classes and one that spoke of deterring substance use. They also did a jamming using instruments and the table along with a song. One group shared a poem.
After every process there were some reflections invited. Hoping children feel comfortable to share more in subsequent sessions. Perhaps, need smaller group interactions too, children recognized me whom I met in may
I concluded by sharing a story close to my heart on the theme of building bridges and friendship. Children shared they felt joy and peace listening to the story. I am grateful. It was joyous and fulfilling to be at DSF, yet again.