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Announcing winners of AFS India Regional Quiz Compe on organized in facilita on with 6 AFS India member schools, to further the knowledge and awareness of SDGs among school students. Hear the students and the educators speak! AFS School Member Highlights School of the Month is Scindia Kanya Vidhyalaya, Gwalior. Learn about their take on interna onalism, global ci zenship and how their goals align with those of AFS India. In the Sponsored Program Sec on, learn about, learn about the ‘Meet & Greet’ virtual event organized for BP program finalists. In AFS Sending Program Sec on, explore the Exchange Experience of Sanskri Jain, Returnee from a Short Term Program to Hungary. In Alumni Impact, read about Project Raktajaba, impact ac vity by Ms. Farhana Ripa, Asia Kakehashi 2018 Alumna in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Know about Hos ng experience of Mrs. Savita Jhawar, host mother to Dane Lieberman and mother to Akhilesh Jhawar, YES 2018 returnee. Read how AFS India Celebrated Interna onal Volunteer Day.
AFS India Regional
Quiz Compe
on
October 2020
AFS believes that peace begins with global ci zens who are curious and informed about the world. In September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, ďŹ ght inequality and injus ce, and tackle climate change by 2030. SDGs are a natural entry to bringing global awareness to the classroom. Connec ng the SDGs to exis ng learning objec ves engages students with real-world issues that makes learning more meaningful.
CHEERS to The WINNERS!
Schools
AFS
The quiz compe on was en rely virtual, where in, the organising schools used pla orms like Google Meet and Zoom Call. They used online quiz tools such as Kahoot, Quizizz, Google Quiz the real quiz where the Quiz Master asked ques ons and par cipants responded. Special men on to the East Zone & one of the Central Zone Quizzes, these quizes were en rely conducted by the students with the support of their teachers.
on
RESULT NORTH ZONE Class 8 - United Na ons POSITION
In an eort to increase awareness around the UN and SDGs, AFS India organised the Regional Quiz Compe on for its member schools in which 49 schools par cipated and 6 schools collaborated to organize and host the Quiz.
Quiz Compe
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Divyam Bansal
Yadavindra Public School, Pa ala
2nd
Apaardeep Singh Sawhney
The Bri sh Co-Ed High School, Pa ala
3rd
Harmanjot Singh
Jodhamal Public School, Jammu
Class 9 - Sustainable Development Goals POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Anirudh Nair
ASN Sr. Sec. School, Delhi
2nd
Ishan Srivastava
Sunbeam School Varuna, Varanasi
3rd
Govind Mishra Sushant Padha
Sunbeam School Lahartara, Varanasi Jodhamal Public School, Jammu
SOUTH ZONE During this pandemic, technology acted as a facilitator by bringing innova on to quizzes and ensuring ac ve par cipa on among students. Hear elt Thanks to all the following 6 AFS Member Schools for successfully conduc ng these compe ons: North Zone Quiz
SelaQui Interna onal School, Dehradun
South Zone Quiz
The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet
East Zone Quiz
Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, Kolkata
West Zone Quiz
Pragnya Bodhini High School, Mumbai
Central Zone Quiz
Queens College, Indore Gyan Ganga Interna onal School, Jabalpur
Page 02 | November 2020 | Newsle er | AFS India
Class 8 - United Na ons POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Hiba Azgar Hussain
Solitaire Global Schools, Hyderabad
2nd
Yarasi Krishna Praneeth
The Hyderabad Public School, Kadapa
3rd
Neha J
Sri Aurobindo Mira Universal School, Madurai
Class 9 - Sustainable Development Goals POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Shagun Upman
The High Range School, Munnar
2nd
S Venkat
The Hyderabad Public School Kadapa
3rd
Sameeha Fa ma
Solitaire Global Schools, Hyderabad
EAST ZONE Class 8 - United Na ons POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Yash Banerjee
Sapphire Interna onal School, Ranchi
2nd
Aadreet Kaushik
Maria's Public School, Guwaha
3rd
Aditya Kiran Bal
ODM Public School, Bhubaneshwar
Class 9 - Sustainable Development Goals POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
G. K Vignesh
Sarala Birla Gyan Jyo , Guwaha
2nd
Vaivabh Podder
Maria's Public School, Guwaha
3rd
Kishlay Yashwardhan
Delhi Public School, Ranchi
WEST ZONE Class 8 - United Na ons POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Shravan Kiran Tammewar
Kids Kingdom Public School, Nanded
2nd
Aryan Biju Nair
Chanderbala Modi Academy, Ankleshwar
3rd
Mustafa Firozbhai Sadikot
Shris English Medium School, Anand
Class 9 - Sustainable Development Goals POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Nehal Gehlot
Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls' Public School, Jodhpur
2nd
Shaikh Hamza Is yak
St. Mathew's High School, Mumbai
3rd
Harshwardhan Vaibhav Navadkar
Sanjay Ghodawat Interna onal School, Kolhapur
CENTRAL ZONE Class 8 - United Na ons POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Ahenjita Sarkar
Queens College, Indore
2nd
Devansh Panthi
Delhi Public School, Kolar Road
3rd
Aadie Srivastava
Delhi Public School, Bhopal
Class 9 - Sustainable Development Goals POSITION
NAME
SCHOOL
1st
Avdhesh Dubey
St. Paul Higher Secondary School, Indore
2nd
Anuja Paul
Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Indore
3rd
Jaivir Singh Malik
Delhi Public School Bhopal
STUDENTS & EDUCATORS SPEAK The Quiz was a tough nut to crack. There were a total of 25 ques ons with 30 seconds to answer each one with a binding rule fastest finger first. You have to be conceptually strong to give the correct answer in such a short span of me. The camera had to be kept on, ensuring no chea ng whatsoever was possible. There were no technical glitches. It was an honour to represent my school - Anirudh Nair | Winner of Class 9 | ASN Sr. Sec. School, Delhi | North Zone Quiz
For me, it was an edifying ac vity altogether. As a student, it was an honourable opportunity to be part of the team for conduc ng this event. Working on the assembling of the whole quiz was a new and energising learning opportunity for me. Personally, it has broadened my mindset on sustainable goals and made me prac ce on them more efficiently than earlier. - Sumbul Khan | Queens' College, Indore | Part of the Organising Commi ee - Central Zone The Quiz was afoot as much as Sherlock's Games. It was one of the most genuinely educa ng and sizzling me I have had in my Quizzing me - Avdhesh Dubey | Winner of Class 9 | St. Paul Higher Secondary School, Indore | Central Zone Quiz When I got the opportunity to conduct a quiz on the United Na ons & the Sustainable Development Goals, it would be an understatement to say that I was thrilled. Having been a part of numerous MUN conferences, I take a keen interest in the workings of the United Na ons, and I am of the opinion that such quizzes are really important to inculcate awareness about what is arguably perhaps one of the most important global ins tu ons of today. - Pranav Choudhury, Student & AFS Alumnus | Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, Kolkata | Part of the Organising Commi ee - East Zone Hear est congratula ons to AFS for conduc ng the quiz compe on SDGs which is quite relevant in the present scenario for peace and prosperity of the people and the planet.' In collabora on with United Na ons Informa on Centre India, since 2016, our school has jointly ventured into many sensi za on programs to spread awareness among students through a high level conspicuous quiz compe on on SDGs especially during this pandemic me. My Best wishes to AFS and all the students who were part of it across India. - Ms Swarnima Luthra, Principal | ASN Sr. Sec. School, Delhi Today the goal of educa on is not only to produce a literate individual but to make sure that they turn into responsible adults. Thinking globally and ac ng locally is the need of the hour, and AFS India chose precisely those two topics for the quiz compe on UN and SDGs. The 8th and 9th graders who became a part of it not only enjoyed the thrill of compe ng against each other but also acknowledged the learning process while they prepared for the event. - Ms Anjum Panna, Educator | Pragnya Bodhini High School, Mumbai | Part of the Organising Commi ee - West Zone Page 03 | November 2020 | Newsle er | AFS India
Address: Mo Mahal Road, Gwalior - 474009 (Madhya Pradesh) India Phone No.: 91-751-2322137 | E-mail: info@skvgwalior.org | Website: www.skvgwalior.org
The school provides number of ac vi es and programmes for students at an interna onal level, some of which are as follows:
Scindia Kanya Vidhyalaya, Gwalior was founded in 1956, by Late H. H. Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia, who bore a profound interest in social reform. As a visionary, she always dreamt of equipping young Indian girls with educa on and lifelong learning. It was her dream to make educa on accessible to all girls. Over the years, SKV has evolved into an esteemed centre of learning. As an ins tu on, it leaves no stones unturned in providing the best to the students. The school offers un-ending avenues of pursuing global ci zenship and internalism. It provides an allencompassing educa on, filled with varied occasions and opportuni es. According to the school authori es, 'Interna onalism' means exposing the students to the knowledge of countries & cultures, to foster a tudes of openness and respect for diversity. They believe that in a world where prejudice and intolerance are rife, one immediately realizes the importance of such educa on. SKV offers a wide range of co-curricular ac vi es for holis c development of the students. It helps in enriching the intellectual and crea ve ap tude of children, develops valuable leadership quali es, ins ls self-confidence, & navigates students' interests to carve out a niche for themselves in various walks of life. SKV strives to provide its pupils a mul faceted experien al learning so that they build a dynamic cohort of talented, skilled individuals. Page 04 | November 2020 | Newsle er | AFS India
- Interna onal Exchanges & collabora ons courtesy AFS & Round Square - MUN's, Dance, Music, Art, Culinary Programs - Hos ng interna onal students & teachers from Italy, Thailand, Germany and UK - Virtual Exchange programmes - Scholarship opportuni es at undergraduate universi es - SANKALP service project, an experien al learning where SKV has set up a manufacturing, to supply low cost sanitary napkins to the rural women. It's a programme designed by the students under the abled guidance of their Principal Mrs. Nishi Misra to improve the standards of women hygiene. The school is striving towards receiving accredita on for the Interna onal Baccalaureate that would offer interna onal opportuni es to teachers as well as will allow them to upgrade themselves through training & various professional development ac vi es. How adop ng interna onalism helps students? Students as they realize that their learning is purposeful and are thus mo vated to learn and explore further about different ways of life. They develop interpersonal skills, build new rela onships and get groomed to take up global ci zenship educa on. This increases their self-esteem and confidence. It breeds greater maturity, tolerance for global peace and brotherhood.
BP Global STEM Academies Sponsored by Bri sh Petroleum BP Global STEM Academies is a full scholarship study abroad program Sponsored for students and ac ve global Program ci zens who are energized to help solve some of today's biggest global challenges. The program culminates with team projects and presenta ons that offer poten al solu ons to real world challenges, with an emphasis on climate change and the energy transi on. In the month of November, AFS India along with Indian families and
Indian schools conducted Meet & Greet with the BP program finalists. The par cipants had a chance to interact with Indian “host” families, learn about tradi onal dress, dance, and cuisine of Indian culture. Sincerest gra tude to Bhamare family from Nashik, Kundu family from Delhi, Maheshwari family from Kolkata, Gupta family from Ahmedabad. They also could experience a tour of Indian school and interact with experts from the school about STEM techniques. Hear elt gra tude to Valistus Interna onal School, Benguluru and The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, Hyderabad for the enriching experience to the par cipants.
BP Global STEM Academies | 18th & 19th Nov 2020 BP Global STEM Academies | 6th & 7th Nov 2020 (Interac on with Host Families)
(Interac on with Valistus Interna onal School, Benguluru & The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, Hyderabad)
AFS Sending Program
Active Citizenship
An Experience to Remember Forever By: Sanskri Jain, Returnee from a Short Term Program to Hungary
“I went on an exchange to Hungary under the PEACE trimester program. The opportunity that AFS gave me, helped me accept challenges and widen my scope of knowledge of different cultures. During my exchange I became a much more confident person, sharing my knowledge about my country and gaining some about theirs. I celebrated Diwali-the Indian fes val of lights with my Hungarian friends and family. We together made Rangoli with flowers (coloured pa ern), distributed sweets and made Indian cuisines.Everyone wished me Happy Diwali and made it a fes val to remember for life me. I also celebrated their Grape Fes val(szüret) and went to a farm to cul vate grapes. I also did pumpkin carving for the first me during Halloween. I was very lucky to celebrate these fes vals in such an amazing way with my host friends and family.” Page 05 | November 2020 | Newsle er | AFS India
Project Raktajaba “We are pleased to share about Project Raktajaba, a community service project carried out in a small Alumni community in Dhaka, Bangladesh, by Farhana Amin Ripa and her Impact friend Adiba Nawrin. Both Farhana and Adiba are High School Seniors awai ng gradua on this year. The main highlight of Project Raktajaba has been the free of cost distribu on of sanitary napkins among underprivileged women. Menstrual hygiene con nues to remain a major concern in many communi es even today. Not only do the women lack basic awareness on periods, but affordability of hygiene is a major concern for them. A er talking to a group of 40 women, Farhana and Adiba came up with Project Raktajaba and carried out the following ac vi es: What did they do? - Spread Awareness: Farhana and her friend Adiba, shared the ill effects of unhygienic menstrual prac ces. They talked about the diseases which occur on account of using unclean clothes and mud during periods. - Talked Hygiene: They also spread awareness on increasing use of sanitary napkins among women. - Discussed Problems: Cost of sanitary napkins is a major hindrance in maintaining menstrual hygiene for women.
- Distributed Sanitary Napkins: They were able to distribute sanitary napkins among all these women as well as their daughters/neighbors who weren't present with us that day. Way Forward… Farhana and her friend have been receiving generous dona ons from people and they plan to visit a junior high school for underprivileged girls for their upcoming project under the same name "Project Raktajaba”. AFS India congratulates Farhana and her friend for this wonderful ini a ve. We wish them all the best for their upcoming projects. Kudos to the team. “
Sponsored by U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educa onal & Cultural Affairs (ECA) DANE DANE COME AGAIN……... By Akhilesh Jhawar (YES Returnee 2018) and Savita Jhawar, India
Hosting Stories
Hos ng experiences are always enriching and filled with many emo ons. Read below what Savita Jhawar, a proud AFS mother has to say about Dane Liebermann, her host son from the US:
Mother's Perspec ve: “As a mother, I always wanted two kids, and by good-fortune, I am blessed to have Dane, as a second child. Dane adapted very quickly to everything that the Indian culture had to throw at him. From ea ng and cooking various Indian dishes to making pandals with the local ar sans during Durga Puja, Dane took part in every event possible. He was very obedient and respec ul in his manners. He helped out in the kitchen and other day-to-day ac vi es. He learnt how to roll out chapa s like a pro in no me. He enjoyed going to school and loved learning the language - Hindi. It was to everyone's bewilderment that an American could learn Hindi so quickly and also write and speak it fluently. He made it a point to converse in Hindi with everyone at home. He made us proud in everything he did; he won every trophy in the annual sports and was awarded ‘The best athlete’ over-all. He was famous throughout the city as he was featured in a periodical and also the news. One of the many highlights of his stay with us was the day we tried the spiciest red-chilli available in India. Although Dane was not a big Page 06 | November 2020 | Newsle er | AFS India
fan of spicy things, he was all-sport for this challenge. So, along with both my sons, I chewed up the chilly and swallowed it and then we ran around the house screaming in terror of the burning sensa on. Dane became as red as the chilly itself. We laughed and cried at the same me and somehow survived the experience. Although it has been a year since he moved back to the United States, all of us miss him dearly. The term "host" became just an official term, but he will always be the family he became. He made an impact not just on the people he interacted with but the en re community on the whole and le everyone eager for his return.”
each event a soaring success. A greater number of volunteers taking up orienta ons, workshops and training reflected ac ve volunteer development. The Navratri and the Masterchef compe on became a huge hit and it's all thanks to our dear volunteers. The meet may have been virtual but the energy was real. It was heartwarming to see volunteers from all walks of life contribu ng to the #afseffect and #changemaking. Here's to wishing a happy, healthy and safe Interna onal Day to all AFS volunteers!”
How AFS India Celebrated Interna onal Volunteer Day By Drash Wani, Intern, AFS India “Volunteers are the bedrock of an organiza on as vibrant as AFS Intercultural Programs. With over 850 volunteers hailing from different parts of the country, AFS India, takes great pride in her people. COVID19 hit no differently to AFS India than it did to AFS Interna onal. Despite the offline exchanges i.e. sending and hos ng ac vi es coming to an unfortunate halt, our volunteers con nued to remain ac ve, throughout the pandemic and the lockdown. We commend the zeal and enthusiasm of our volunteers. Over a 100 volunteers from pan India a ended the AFS India Open House, organized on 28th November 2020. The town hall was nothing short of a Virtual Reunion for the en re AFS India family. To make the event more engaging, we had requested each chapter to present a 3 minute brief on their year round AFS ac vi es and achievements. It was overwhelming to see the volunteers present their stories with pride. As chapter heads con nued to speak for their ci es, praises, applauds and congratulatory messages kept swamping the chat box. AFS India Director, Divya Arora, extended her personal gra tude to each chapter for their amazing work and volunteering. Be it the community service for the COVID19 frontline warriors or the Saturday Surprises, volunteers across India have ac vely par cipated and made
Volunteer to create change Join a movement of ac ve ci zens helping people and communi eslearn to live together. Page 07 | November 2020 | Newsle er | AFS India
Khushi Agrawal from Indore