FEEL

WE EXPERIENCED

It was our constant desire that our children should graduate with Content and Characterand and recognize that the purpose of education is both.

Watch Kiran share the journey of the INSANE programme at Riverside from its origin to it becoming a regular process in school.

5:50

Try the empathy lens:


Visit your school support team and maids at their homes. Have a cup of tea with them and understand their stories. This will help you to witness and notice the lives of people around you. It will help you to put into perspective that the purpose of education is incomplete if it is not to serve the larger good. Sometimes, when we lose focus and think that it is so easy to value only what we can measure, this experience will allow you to go back to what is important and extend this same opportunity to the children in your school.


Try the empathy lens

OUR INSIGHTS

  • We noticed that when children reached the final High School years, the conversation shifted from learning to admission. Typically, they were surrounded by focus on academics, marks and college applications. And, therefore many children experienced admission anxiety and pressures from self, home and also from peers.

  • Whilst we understood the reality of what role marks would play in the onward journey of our children, this focus on just grading and marks being the only measures of identity was something that fundamentally didn’t register with our premise and promise. We felt the need to help children quieten the noise and to have an opportunity to put into perspective what those marks would be for in a larger purpose.

IMAGINE

WHAT IF...

children could go through an immersive experience to realize that the purpose of education is not ‘either/or’ but both Content and Character and that it must serve the larger purpose.

WE DESIGNED

We designed ‘INSANE’ (Inner Sanitation Experience) for our graduating batch which included a series of experiences spread over a day and a half, starting as early as 5 am in the morning.

INSANE was filled with opportunities for:

  • Immersions in the communities which are underserved;

  • Working with and visiting the homes of the ‘Paryavaranmitra’ team (who collect rags and refuse for a livelihood www.paryavaranmitra.org.in) and with ‘Manav Sadhna’ (which runs programs to strengthen the underprivileged communities www.manavsadhna.org);

  • Long walks, silent time and meditation;

  • Masterclass;

  • time for self and group reflection; and

  • creating an artwork of their takeaways.

This experience allowed the children to re-imagine and flip words such as fatigue, hardwork and entitlement. They felt gratitude for their privileges and realized what learning is truly about.

The fallout of this deeply emotional process was that children understood that the purpose of education is so much more than just marks and became more empathetic, self-aware and confident. They graduated with a better understanding of the culture and values of their school. They went out with a shift of reference putting exams as one of the pieces of their lives and not the only piece.

DO

HERE IS WHAT WE DO

This process video helps make visible the design and implementation of the ‘INSANE’ programme.

4:51

STAKEHOLDER INSIGHTS

In this section, Riverside edu-heroes share strategies and insights from their experience of the process and how the process has impacted their practice.

  • 9:45

    FAQ Video

    Watch Priti share some insights on how to implement an 'INSANE' programme to design appropriate immersive experiences for students that inspire them to become agents of change.

  • 6:20

    Impact Video

    Watch Priti share the relevance of INSANE, key insights, and impact of the process on her as a teacher!

  • 6:20

    Alumni Video

    Watch Bonny Thawanitalk about the impact of the ‘INSANE Programme’ on his journey beyond Riverside.

Resources

Checklist

TIPS FOR THE LEADERS

  • Invest time in finding an organization that works for the greater good and can offer your children opportunities for service and to build perspective.

  • Ensure that you genuinely participate in this experience with the children because the children are constantly looking up to you.

  • Make sure that safety is taken care of and children move in groups under the supervision of teachers.

  • Make sure that all participants wear simple and comfortable attire which shows respect to the community you are visiting.

  • Invite a guest for the masterclass with whose story children will be able to build a connect and draw inspiration. You need not invite a celebrity rather someone from within the school community or city is always a great choice.