| | | TagOn Talks A monthly newsletter on student volunteering, community service and service learning Issue 08 | August 2024
| | | We're delighted to bring you the latest edition of TagOn Talks! In this issue, we feature an insightful interview with Dr. Lakshman Kumar, Director of Vishwa Vishwani Institute of Systems and Management, who shares exciting initiatives happening at their institute, along with a captivating story that is sure to inspire you. In our Learning Bytes section, we explore the importance of thoughtful reflection on our experiences to better understand ourselves, enhance learning, and prepare for future challenges. We also shine a spotlight on the fundamental duties of citizens and discuss how we can contribute more to society. Additionally, we highlight an NGO that empowers people by amplifying their voices on important issues and collaboratively finding solutions that make a positive impact. Finally, we wrap up with an exciting update from LetsTagOn! We hope you enjoy reading this edition and find the content both engaging and thought-provoking.
Happy reading, Team LetsTagOn | | Leadership Logs Conversations with visionary education leaders shaping tomorrow's minds
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What roles do community service and service-learning play in achieving the institution's mission and goals? Service learning is a critical influencer to the institutional impact. Institutions that promote service learning demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility, often gaining recognition for their contributions to community development and social causes. Service learning fosters collaboration between students, teachers, and community members, creating a more dynamic, interactive learning environment that goes beyond traditional classroom settings. It also provides research and publication opportunities to faculty, hence elevating the institution's contribution and cultivating a culture of collaboration and compassion. | |
Dr. Lakshman Kumar Director, Vishwa Vishwani Institute of Systems and Management, Hyderabad | | | |
What are the initiatives in your institute that promote community service/ volunteering and service learning? In our institution, we believe in empowering communities through education. As part of our RISE program, which is Rural Immersion for Social Empowerment, we plan and execute many field visits to students. Recently, Vishwa Vishwani Institute of Systems and Management proudly conducted an impactful educational session at Uddamarri village, focusing on women's health and menstrual hygiene. Our dedicated students led the session, engaging Mahila Mandal in discussions about the importance of cleanliness, personal care and hygiene during menstruation.
Do you want to share any specific story of transformation? Last month, students had the privilege of spending a day with incredible children at Good Shepherd Undivided Family, a children's shelter home. What started as an emotional experience quickly turned into a day filled with joy, laughter and connection. Students happily served the children, took the opportunity to spread awareness about health and hygiene, and conducted fun sports. We could observe the impact this had on our students in making them more humble, sensitive towards fellow human beings and being responsible for the needy. | | Learning Bytes Insights on service learning, volunteering and community service
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Experiential learning gains value only when the experiences are reflected upon. Otherwise, they have the risk of becoming visits or interactions without the internalization of the learning. Reflections are a critical component of service-learning, integrating community service and learning. Facilitation of reflections and subsequent documentation of reflections are powerful tools that transform experiences into meaningful insights, allowing the students to grow personally and professionally.
One of our visits to a waste segregation centre was an eye opening one. It was a stinky place and students were reluctant to enter inside initially. Once they got to hear the reality from the coordinator there, students could not believe that they are also contributing to the mixed waste unknowingly. During reflections post the visit and while documenting their reflections is when the students got the opportunity to think through this experience, realize their role in reducing and managing waste and internalized the learning.
Reflection writing offers a chance to pause and consider the impact of our experiences. It encourages us to: Understand Personal Growth: By reflecting on our experiences, we gain clarity about our personal growth, challenges, and achievements. This self-awareness helps in recognizing areas for improvement and celebrating successes.
Enhance Learning: Reflecting on activities, especially immersive ones, deepens our understanding of the subject matter. It allows us to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world applications, reinforcing learning.
By thoughtfully reflecting on our experiences, we can better understand ourselves, enhance our learning, and prepare for future challenges. As a faculty, it is critical to design the reflections as part of experiential learning and facilitate the reflections. | |
Cause Spotlight
Active Citizenship | | We all have read the Fundamental Rights and Duties in school. What are fundamental duties of a citizen? Are we abiding by those? What more can we do as a good citizen? Active citizen is someone who takes a role in the community and nation development. Being active citizen can take forms of
Participating in democratic process and elections. Holding administrative bodies accountable for their responsibilities towards public infrastructure, cleanliness, support and safety. Mobilising support and citizens for right action. Maintaining and promoting upkeep of public places. Volunteering and contributing to socio-economic development and environment protection.. Standing up for rights and standing up against the wrong doings. Identifying and solving local problems by collaborating with relevant stakeholders.
There are many organizations which promote and support active citizenship. Being an active citizen does not necessarily require working through an NGO. A volunteer interested in taking up activities in the area of active citizenship has many opportunities to work with the NGO or mobilize local communities for action. | |
NGO Showcase Youngistaan Foundation | |
Youngistaan Foundation provides a platform for people – especially young people – to voice their opinions about the issues that matter to them and to come up with solutions together that will benefit people. In addition to campaigns around election time, they focus on creating dialogue among young people by organizing sessions on active citizenship in schools, colleges, local communities and other places. Registered as an NGO in January 2014, Youngistaan Foundation is based in Hyderabad with multiple projects that run throughout the country. They are fueled by the desire to change the world by touching one life at a time involving over 50,000 volunteers. Youngistaan Foundation has won multiple awards for our on-ground impact and our effort to raise awareness on issues and encourage people across India to do their part to help people in need. Their aim is to intervene and empower the disadvantaged. They work with young people to highlight various issues and make a difference in their communities. They conduct Active Citizenship Sessions especially in school students to have interactive discussions on fundamental rights, women’s safety, child rights, the right to a clean environment and much more.
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To know more, check www.youngistaanfoundation.org | | | |
LetsTagOn Highlight LetsTagOn team facilitated Social Immersion Program
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Team LetsTagOn is excited to extend their immersions with the sessions on Universal Human Values and Professional Ethics. Recently the team had an opportunity to facilitate orientation sessions at Welingkar Institute of Management. The program was conducted for 4 days and focused on UHV and Ethics along with social immersion.
The enthusiastic students actively participated in the case study discussions and other activities of the session which also helped them to know each other. We thank the staff and management of the institute. | | | | | | | Our mailing address is: info@letstagon.com
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