Past Project 2019 -2020
In 2019 MindupFoundation teamed up with Hope, an organization based out of Kozhikode, Kerala, and its operations are spearheaded by the local police department. Both organizations are interested in the upliftment of the less fortunate in the society. The students in the group were poor academic performers and socially vulnerable path takers, including drugs. While Hope is to provide academic support, Mindupfoundation is to bring life skills and other soft skills, shaping them to be a fine and responsible citizen of the society.
The group is very challenging compared to yester years as students come from varied and disturbing backgrounds. Hence our curriculum had to be modified from previous years, and at times had to make curriculum improvisation to suit the interest of the group. Our trainers have to have experiences with vocational careers and experience dealing with drug-holics. A thorough preparation was required from the leadership of Mindupfoundation to prepare for this project.
We started with 21 students in September 2019 and later 50+ students were added in Oct 2019
Location
Activity Report
Topic: Career Planning
Resource Person: Sreeraj
Objective: To analyze the interest of students in connection with the career.
Total Students : 21
Session 1 : Ice Breaking
Time : 11.30 am – 1 pm
Method Adopted : Roleplay
Objective : To build rapport
Session 2 : Trust Building
Time : 2 pm-3 pm
Method adopted : Group Discussion
Session 3: Career Interest assessment
Time : 3-4 pm
Method adopted : Questionnaire
Evaluation of the day:
Most of the students were restless & impatient .Need more exercises & fun filled activities before injecting serious career thoughts as the students.
Session 1 : Acceptance of failure.
Time :10 am-11.30 am.
Method adopted : Case studies & Story telling.
Objective : To make the students understand that failures are part of life.
Session 2 : Confidence building.
Time : 11.45 pm – 1 pm.
Method adopted : Creative drama therapy.
Objective : Building confidence through avoiding stage fright.
Session 3 : Career path.
Time : 2 pm -3 pm.
Method adopted : Group discussion.
Objective : Introducing available career options based on once own choice.
Session 4 : Personality assessment.
Time :3 pm – 4 pm.
Method adopted : Questionnaire , brain storming & group discussion.
Day 2 Evaluation :
The students were very close and friendly today .Lack basic manners & discipline.
Session 1: Finding strength.
Time : 10 am – 11 am.
Method adopted : Game.
Objectives : To make each student know the positives in him/her through the friends.
Session 2: Goal setting.
Time : 11 am – 1 pm.
Method used : Individual Counseling.
Objectives : To support the students in fixing their career paths.
Session 3: Building right attitude & manners.
Time : 2 pm-3 pm.
Method adopted : Games.
Objective : Building manners & positive attitude among students.
Session 4: Gathering individual commitment.
Time : 3 pm – 4 pm.
Method adopted : Feedback.
Objective : To inject the idea about the role of commitments in life.
Day 3 Evaluation.
Felt many changes in the behavioral pattern of students. Each one realized their life should be changed in a positive way.
Today , another 50+ students were added and the city police commissioner inaugurated the program.
Session: Ice breaking and Psycho Social Assessment.
Activities
- Action activity
- Sick chair
- Team building activities
Psycho social assessment questionnaire were done for all the students.
Todays session was another icebreaking session for a large number of students. Because of their back ground it took time just to get he questionnaire done by these students. A lot of them were seeing these kind of activities for the first time and had no clue how to even answer simple questions. But they need to start somewhere. It gave them an exposure how things work in real world.
Time:10:00AM to 3:30 PM
Topic: Life Skill
Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Given the rapid rate of change in our world, the ability to adjust and adapt is critical to success. Student’s needs to learn to quickly analyze what is going on around them and make adjustments on the fly—all the while keeping their goals at the forefront of their minds. Self-awareness refer to one’s ability to be aware of or to recognize his emotions, behaviors, beliefs, motivations and other characteristics such as strengths and weaknesses, such that it enables him to identify and understand himself as a separate entity. 62 students participated today
Activities: SWOT analysis, Mirror Activity.
Evaluation: The students were actively participated in the games and activities.
Time : 10 am to 3:45pm
Topic : Self Awareness & Self Management
Session 1: Energizer & Grouping
Time: 10:00 am -10:30
Session 2 : Self awareness
Activity:
- Self awareness building activities
- Stop exercises
- Mindfulness based activities
AWOC analysis
Session 3
Time: 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm
Self management strategies through group activity.
Session 4
Session 4 was used to collect feedback from students, an activity many students had trouble to understand in the beginning of the program. In this session students were asked to provide feedback on classes. Ability to assess is a skills required to be built in students and by doing so, students were asked to think outside the box.
Evaluation: A drastic improvement was observed in students to work in a team compared to the disposition of students when the program was stated a few months ago. Students are learning the basic skills such as listening, following instructions, discipline , team work etc in addition to the mental skills/ life skills that are required to do better in life. It is worth to note that in this group there are students who are drug peddlers. Another focal point for the program is to address this issue through various life skills initiatives, for example assertiveness, saying “No” to peers in an uncomfortable situation.
Topic Social Awareness & Relationship Management
10:30 – 10:45 Brain Gym
10:45 – 1Pm – Social Awareness activities
Grouping
Empathy building
SI strategies by Dr. Travis
2 – 4 Pm – Relationship management activity
Trust building
Active listening
Strategies by Dr. Travis
4 – 5 Pm – Collage on Learnings from the Training .
5 – 5.30 Pm
Interaction with HOPE mentor on student assessment .
Evaluation:
Students need more exposure into Training . Need to customize the activities as students are academically backward .A few are not able to read and write . Comprehension level is Low as they have been out of school and learning for some years . A few students are in to Drug abuse , many have emotional traumas . Need more individual Student interventions .
Topic : ASSERTIVENESS SKILL & SUBSTANCE USE
Session 1: CASE PRESENTATION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Time: 10:00AM to 10:30 AM
Method adopted: Story telling
Objective: To enhance AWARENESS about the bio psycho social impact of Substance Abuse .
Session 2. Students to prepare a collage on causes , Bio psycho social impact , treatment & prevention of SUBSTANCE Abuse .
Time: 10:30AM – 12.00 AM
Method adopted: PEER learning
Objective: To learn about the negative impact of substance abuse through peers
Session 3: Presentation by students
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Method adopted: Presentation, Discussions & Demonstration
Objective: To get various views and deeper understanding about Substance Abuse.
Session 4: Role play on assertiveness skill
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Method adopted: Discussions & Demonstration
Objective: TO SAY ‘NO’ GRACEFULLY to face peer pressure
Evaluation: Most of the students have actively participated in the demonstration and discussions. It helped to enhance the awareness about the Substance abuse and how to tackle the peer pressure in using Drugs .
Topic : SELF ESTEEM AND BODY IMAGE.
Session 1: Exploration on POSTIVE AND NEGATIVE SELF ESTEEM
Time: 10:00 AM- 11.00
Method adopted: Story telling & Lecture
Objective: To inspire and develop positive SELF esteem.
Session 2. TO ASSSESS SELF ESTEEM
Time: 11 AM – 3.00 PM
Method adopted: SCALE
Objective: To understand one’s self esteem level.
Session 3: Summarizing
Time: 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Method adopted: LECTURE
Objective: CLARITY ON NEED & HOW TO DEVELOP SELF ESTEEM
Evaluation: Most of the students have actively participated in the discussions. STUDENTS got inspiration and strategies to enhance their self esteem.
Topic : BODY LANGUAGE FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION .
Session 1: Mehrabian formula
Time: 10:00AM- 11.00AM
Method adopted: demo
Objective: To Enhance communication skills through body language.
Session 2 : Does your body change your mind ?
Time: 11 AM – 12.00 N
Method adopted:
Objective: To manage stress and enhance one’s presence.
Session 3: ZONE & EYE GAZING
Time:1 2:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Method adopted: DEMO
Objective: To Enhance communication skills through body language.
Session 4: BODY LANGUAGE FOR INTERVIEW & Summarizing
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Method adopted: DEMO
Objective: TO PERFORM WELL IN INTERVIEW .
SESSION 5 : MEET UP WITH HOPE TEAM .
Evaluation: STUDENTS got strategies to enhance their COMMUNICATION SKILLS . STUDENTS got deeper understanding about body language and communication.
Topic : Public speaking & Presentation.
Session 1: Introduction & Benefits of Public Speaking.
Time: 10:00AM to 10:30 AM
Method adopted: Lecture
Objective: Articulate at least three reasons why public speaking skills are important.
Session 2. Presentation Techniques.
Time: 10:30AM – 11:45AM
Method adopted: Lectures & Demonstration
Objective: To demonstrate the speech by using minimum two types of presentation technique.
Session 3: Planning and structuring an effective presentation.
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Method adopted: Lectures & Presentation
Objective: To develop or write a speech with proper structure.
Session 4: Delivery of a speech.
Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Method adopted: Presentation, Discussions & Demonstration
Objective: To Make students more comfortable around other people.
Evaluation: Most of the students are actively participated in the demonstration and discussions. Some of them are present their speech very well.
Topic : Career Planning
Session 1: 5 STEPS IN CAREER PLANNING.
Time: 10:00 AM- 11:00
Method adopted: Lecture
Objective: To GIVE CLARITY ON CAREER PLANNING.
Session 2. CAREER ASSESSMENT TEST.
Time: 11 AM – 1:00 PM
Method adopted: SCALE
Objective: SELF KNOWING
Session 3: CAREER ASSESSMENT TEST.
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Method adopted: Scale
Objective: To understand one’s self .
Session 4: Summarizing.
Time: 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Method adopted: LECTURE
Objective: CLARITY ON CAREER PLANNING
Evaluation: Most of the students have actively participated in the discussions. Students could do the career assement test and got better understanding about career planning.
Topic : Career Planning.
Session 1: CAREER ASSESSMENT TEST.
Time: 10 AM – 12:0000 PM
Method adopted: SCALE
Objective: SELF KNOWING
Session 2. SUMMARY.
Time: 12 AM – 12.30 PM
Method adopted: LECTURE
Objective: Better understanding about career planning.
Session 3: individual counseling.
Time: 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Method adopted: counseling
Objective: To help students to come out of drug addiction .
Session 4: Meet up with HOPE Team.
Time: 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Method adopted: LECTURE
Objective: To get clarity on the progress of the project
Objective: To give feedbacks and give reference for individual counseling.
Evaluation: Most of the students have actively participated in the class . Students could do the career assessment test and got individual counseling sessions.
Students break for the exam till April. Next touch point with stundets is after the exams.
Year 2020 was truly unprecedented. But the will to succeed trumps all the obstacles. The determination of our staff and an our relentless effort to make an impact on other people’s lives displayed amazing results for our students. Not only the students passed the exams in flying colors( a big credit goes to our classes on dealing with exam anxiety), they were assessed for potential career paths.
Other notable laurels include the level of confidence our program instilled in the youth and dealing with students who came in our sessions under the influence of drugs.
Students who were shy and not making eye contacts were displaying unbelievable transformations towards the end of our program with their full fledged involvement. Those who came under drugs influences were given one-on-one counseling and ended with a positive outcome.
This is exactly what we wanted to do with our program. It is for those who are vulnerable in the society and guiding them back to an amazingly happy and successful life.
They don’t come to us. We go out and seek them , one student at a time. Our small contribution to make this world a better place to live.
Here is the summary of our work in 2020
