Woxsen University in partnership with Monmouth University, USA, launched the ‘Woxsen-Monmouth Elevate Program’ in February 2022, a six-month social impact project aimed towards the upliftment of the lesser privileged students of Telangana.
Elevate Program has come into existence with a strong vision to become a support system to the weaker sections of the society, in alignment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which focuses on Good Health & Well-being, Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities and Economic Growth. The program is also aligned to the ERS approach of leading international accreditation bodies such as AACSB, EFMD, and AMBA, of which Woxsen University holds prestigious memberships.
The program has close to 300 registered students in the age group of 4-18 years from the nearby areas of Kamkole, Buddhera, Lingampally, Digwal, Kohir, Melasangam, Ibrahimpur, Sadasivpet, Mogudampally and Zaheerabad.
Fundraising Campaign
The Elevate Program begun with a Fundraising Campaign at Woxsen and Monmouth University simultaneously where students and staff from both the universities donated for the upliftment of these children. The funds are allocated to provide educational materials to the lesser privileged students.
Academics and Co-Curricular Activities
The UG & PG students from the School of Business, School of Arts & Design, School of Technology and School of Architecture & Planning at Woxsen have embodied the role of teachers and are providing quality education to these children with great passion & enthusiasm. The Monmouth students have been sending recorded videos of class lessons ensuring a collaborative approach in teaching.
The Elevate Program children are divided into four sections based on their age groups which are primary, middle school and senior school and attends their session on every Sunday (2pm-4pm).
Academics: Focuses on providing non-parallel lessons in important subjects
English Language
- Primary students are learning to read and write English Alphabets, small words, rhymes, poems, small sentences, etc.
- Middle school students are learning meanings of words, opposite words, paragraph reading, spellings, self-introduction, presentation skills, spoken English, etc.
- Senior school students are learning Parts of Speech, Sentence Formation, Self-Introduction, Punctuation, Tenses, etc.
Mathematics
- Primary students are learning to read and write numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, shapes etc.
- Middle school students are learning tables, divisions, fractions, geometry, etc.
Life Skills
Senior students are learning the 10 recommended Life-Skills by WHO under Ms Shahnaz (Psychology Counsellor and the Project Lead of the Elevate Program). The Life-skills such as self-awareness, empathy, coping with stress, problem solving, decision making, creative thinking, etc are being taught.
Co-curricular: Focuses on the holistic development of the children
- Children above the age group of 10 are being trained in Sports under Mr Sougato (Sports Coach) at the League (International Sports Arena) in the Woxsen premises.
- We are introducing The Bal Chetna Shivir in this month which is a program conducted under the umbrella of Vyakti Vikas Kendra, India for the under privileged students to enhance their wellbeing. The program consists of innovative activities, games, knowledge session, breathing exercises, and meditation as part of it.
- The last month of the program will also focus on teaching various art and craft lessons to the students which can generate employability/entrepreneurship ideas in future.
Significance and Impact
The significance of the project can be understood through these projected outcomes.
- Providing children with the resources they need to exercise their right to quality education
- Reducing inequality in educational access
- Providing children with an access to a global platform and opportunity
- Raised awareness of children’s well-being
Various steps are being taken to make a significant influence on society by improving the lives of these impoverished children and ensuring that they have access to their basic Right to Education. Woxsen University is providing basic stationeries, refreshments, and transportation facilities to all the children.
About the Author:
Chahat Mishra is the Head of International Relations and Strategic Development at Woxsen University in India.