“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment.”
About Udaan Learning Center:
The present system of education is built upon monotony and rote learning and survives by promoting mono-culture and status quo. Under such a system what remains of the teacher-student relationship is only a subject-object relationship between them. It’s a system of unidirectional flow of knowledge from the teacher to the students. This system obstructs the processes of creative, critical, and imaginative thinking in children. The children remain confined to the school textbooks and at the mercy of the teacher, who is expected to go by the book. They serve as a containers of knowledge and information without nurturing the spirit of curiosity. This turns them to be an obedient citizen but not an aware and sensitive one.
We, at Udaan learning center, believe that the purpose and effect of education should be such that it enables children to develop critical thinking and a curious mind. Children should be conscious citizens of the society who are aware of what is going on around them. Here we try to achieve this through holistic approach to the children who live in the villages around our center. The method includes discussion on various social and political issues like environment, caste, and gender through workshops, theatre, movies, games and other non-conventional methods of pedagogy. Our Learning Center has a library, a room for puzzles, indoor games, art & craft, and a playground. There is a space for carpentry, pottery, and bamboo structuring. All these facilities are used by children on a daily basis after their school hours and all day during weekends and other school holidays. We also organize field trips/nature camps for children to be able to learn from the outside world as much from the world inside of learning center. Eco-camps are also organized with the children from other places and with the Schools around to enhance the understanding of the self-reliant model of villages and environment-related issues.
About the camp
The camp would comprise of 10 days of fun learning for kids to experience sustainable living and understanding the need to preserve our environment, along with the exploration of different kinds of learning around our vicinity. This camp will provide the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and motivation necessary to become environmentally-responsible citizens – all in a playful manner. Not only do these opportunities build critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills, they help young people to form a bond with the natural world, encouraging them to be better custodians of the landscape.
Key Features/Highlights of the camp
- Exploring biodiversity of the Dhauladhar mountains, with Vikram Singh from “Life meets the lens” https://www.facebook.com/lifemeetsthelens/
- Delve deeply into the concepts of self-reliance and ecology, through discussions and experiential activities.
- Understanding “Plastic Pollution”, and our direct contribution to it.
- Hands-on activities like carpentry, pine needle basket, recycling, organic farming, etc.
- Visiting social organisations in Kangra region to have a brief discussion with environmental activists.
- Exploring the village and landscape around through walks and treks.
- Watching movies and documentaries to strengthen our understanding.
- Spending evenings at bonfire and storytelling.
- May explore theatre, film-making, organic farming, birding etc.
- Brainstorming solutions to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.
- Lots more fun and learning will emerge from the energies that children would bring together.
About the facilitators
Fatema: She started her learning journey through unlearning her conditionings about education by being a part of the home/unschoolers group of India and Learning Societies UnConference (LSUC). She challenges conventional system of education and explores different ways of engaging with children. She believes in living a self-contained lifestyle and preaches the same.
(https://www.facebook.com/udaanlearningcenter/_
Vikram: He is an avid ‘Life Sciences’ enthusiast who can hear his own heartbeat in every living creature that he sees. An equally passionate photographer, Vikram has spent over a decade trying to capture the glory of life in everything from the movement of ants to the dance of the bees, from the blooming of flowers to the wings of the birds. Although he has an undergraduate degree in Botany and a Masters in Human Genomics, his love affair with bio-diversity began when he was a little child.
(https://www.facebook.com/lifemeetsthelens/)
Jeewika: She is an educator and an environmentalist who spent few years with Teach for India initiative. She conducts workshops on topics of education, environment and development for teachers, children and young adults. Currently, she is living and practicing natural farming in Bir.
Abhimanyu: A social enthusiast, who completed his MA in development studies last year, and is exploring alternative education as a category of practice.
Who is the workshop for: Children who are inquisitive and keen to know about environmental issues, and are hopeful for a sustainable future for themselves, and who desire to ‘know’.
Language: A mix of English and Hindi
Suggested Contribution: The expected contribution towards workshop is 12000/- for 10 days (including food, accommodation and material and any travel expense during the camp). Participants who need partial waivers, please do mention so in the application form.
To register please write to fatema@sambhaavnaa.org/, or ashekhawat.16@stu.aud.ac.in
Venue: Udaan Learning Center (Sambhaavnaa Institute) at VPO Kandbari, Tehsil Palampur, District Kangra, PIN 176061
Or Call on 8679475925 (Fatema)/9460969188 (Abhimanyu)
How to reach: Please visit: http://www.sambhaavnaa.
Fill the Application form here-