The hallmark of Amrita is our focus on ethics and culture. Amritam Projects was initiated four years ago to achieve the school’s vision of empowering the children to meet life’s challenges, as well as to inculcate a sense of social responsibility in them.
Under the ‘Sevamritam Project‘, students bring a handful of rice once every week and donate it to needy families identified by them at the end of the month. Students are also made aware of the opportunities available to them to serve those who are deprived of basic necessities. As a part of the ‘Sealing of Desire Project’, they are guided to thank the almighty for the abundance they have, and are urged to seal some of their desires in order to foster a feeling of empathy and consideration for the needy. Each classroom has a piggy bank where the students write about the desire that they have given up. The money saved in this manner is used to procure essential food items for the needy families.
Over the past four years, our Amrita Vidyalayam has reached out to old age homes and economically vulnerable families in the nearby slum areas to donate rice, clothes and other essential food items. The school also reached out to the Adivasi village of Ursegaon situated in Dahanu Taluka of Palghar district that was facing acute shortage of food and essential commodities. We donated around 300 kg of rice, clothes and stationery items consisting of 200 pencils and pens, 60 geometry boxes, 275 notebooks, drawing books and story books for the children attending the Zilla Parishad School situated in the village. We also donated rice and essential food items to Freedom Faith Foundation, a halfway destitute home at Badlapur which works as a de-addiction and rehabilitation centre for people recovering from any type of drug addiction and alcohol related issues.
Cloth bags are made by students out of old school uniforms under the Wealth from Waste project and is used for the distribution of rice in order to convey the message of reducing the use of plastic.
Grooming Responsible Citizens of Tomorrow
Amrita Vidyalayam provides an excellent platform for students to unleash their imagination and engage in finding innovative solutions to environmental challenges. We seek to develop in our students the ability to think beyond the boundaries of the classroom walls, their textbooks and exam marks. In fact, the objective is to shape the child’s mind to learn not just for the grade he or she is in, but to learn for life.
Students prepare skits and present it during morning assembly. Students also go to classrooms and participate in street plays where they talk about environmental concerns. Through the portrayal of attractive banners and slogans, they depict how their commitments can transform into actionable initiatives.
Singing parodies of Hindi songs, students of 9th and 10th grades presented a skit named “Hamaari suraksha hamaare haathon mein” depicting the various incidents that occur during driving such as the perils of helmet-less riding, drunk driving, distractions caused by mobiles while driving and the need to give way to an ambulance at all times. They used banners which contained meaningful slogans to drive home the above points.
The mindful consumption of water was highlighted by students of 6th to 8th grades when they went around classes to spread the message, “Conserve Water, Conserve Life”. They highlighted 10 simple measures we can all practice in our day to day lives to ensure that water is not wasted.
Students became Brand Ambassadors of “Eliminate Food Waste” campaign and went to each classroom to spread the message “Take All That You Can Eat, But Eat All That You Take”. No more dry waste bins in the school meant students would not throw away food. The message was clear; no more food waste. They will eat their snack or lunch fully or take back the leftovers and compost it.
Shramdaan – The inspiring vision of Mahatma Gandhi’s “Swachh Bharat” motivated students from all classes to participate in the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign. Equipped with gloves, they visited the surrounding areas and cleaned it. They also expressed their ideas of a Clean India through essay writing, slogan writing, painting and speeches.
Students cleaned classroom cupboards, windows and sills, cleared the school ground and segregated dry and wet garbage. Senior Secondary students converted plastic soft drink bottles into beautiful planters which were hung around the school campus.
