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Maria's Public School, Guwahati

Address: Birkuchi, Narengi, Guwaha – 781026, Assam, India Phone No. +91- 8383968702, +91- 9864068171 E-mail: principal@mariaspublicschool.org Website: hp://mariaspublicschool.org/

Over the years, Maria's Public School has accomplished innumerable accolades, victories, successes as well as healthy failures. One true reason that has contributed to this is the Marian Vision - 'Learning Beyond the Classroom' envisaged by the Founder Managing Trustee, Nellie Ahmed, ever since the school was established in 1988. This vision has not provided just one single plaorm but various other portals have opened up for the students and educators to demonstrate their academic, creave and co-scholasc capabilies. From the primary level, children get opportunies to engage in real life learning experiences, adhering to a curriculum that balances academics and experienal learning. Acvies like Nature Walks, Biodiversity Awareness and Conservaon Educaon Programmes are organized each year.

One parcular avenue that we always focus on and believe in providing value is the cultural exchange; every year we provide an opportunity to students as well as teachers to visit countries abroad, and contribute to the Internaonal Cultural Exchange Programmes. It has benefited our students tremendously to evolve as responsible and sensive individuals, with the same respect for other cultures as their own. It has also helped to foster a feeling of Global Competence and a sense of Global Cizenship. The Marian Educaonal fraternity acvely parcipates in songs, dramas and organizes street plays and skits which represent our true tradion and history, which connects adheres students to their 'roots'.

MPS now basks in the light of the learning outcomes through its affiliaons to various Naonal and Internaonal Organizaons - AFS, Round Square, The Green Schools Alliance, TAISI, to name a few, which further enhances the learning modules, enabling the Students

between the 'local' and 'global'. Through the various projects that we have planned for them, over the past few years, the students were able to -

- Learn firsthand about the impact of culture on values and the decisions they make - Gain the ability to beer see themselves through the eyes of others - Challenge assumpons - Broaden their views on stereotypes and global issues - Gain understanding on how to shi perspecves effecvely, appropriately and authencally - Create innovave soluons to resolve real-world challenges - Develop the praccal 21st century skills, knowledge and understanding needed to become acve global cizens

There have been instances when our students, in true spirit of celebrang our very own fesval 'Bihu', had visited the nearby Police staon to not only honour the bravery of the people of the law enforcement, but also make them feel special. As part of the school's community outreach program, our students have visited mental health awareness centres and interacted with the most vulnerable and unique of our social strata. The experience helped the students to understand the nuances of social inclusion and the need for inclusivity and sustainable development that works for all, not just a few.

Community connecon is imbibed in the curriculum and educaonal acon plans of MPS and the students are connected to Local Communies around the School, located in Birkuchi, Narengi, Guwaha, Assam. Resource sharing constutes most of the acvies, where the students explore a bond through lessons, artworks, cra and gardening. MPS has also been supporng communies located in remote areas in the States of Meghalaya and Rajasthan, where the students have connected with fellow students coming from mountain and forest communies. Through its own Conservaon Educaon and Community Interacon Camp located at Gailpur, Rajasthan - the Maria's Braveheart, the students explore Global Paradigms of Community Interacon and Service by aending programmes twice every year.

A latest addion to our ventures took place in Sept, 2018 when we joined hands with AFS and became part of their extended family. We cannot hope to confront the climate emergency without the meaningful parcipaon of all stakeholders involved and to that effect, AFS is a truly wonderful plaorm to mobilize opinions for affirmave acon, and most importantly to design an organized, collaborave student-teacher task force that would address Local and Global Problems, throw pernent quesons to get the right answers and explore possibilies for collecve soluon which is the need of the 21st century.