Life well-lived is when it is lived for others. Compassion is at the core of education at Oakridge International School, Gachibowli and empathy is ingrained in students right from their early years. Oakridgers have been rigorously and passionately working towards community outreach through various activities aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This month witnessed four major social welfare programmes.
Oakridge students taking part in social impact activities
World Earth Day was celebrated at Oakridge with the motto “Plant and Save the Planet” in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action. In collaboration with Haritha Haram, an initiative of the Government of Telangana, Oakridge staff and students distributed and planted 5000 saplings among all the stakeholders. Besides, they used multiple channels to spread awareness and sensitize people on how critical it is to save the earth and its resources for future generations.
Oakridgers have also been extensively working in accordance with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Wellbeing. On World Health Day, Students of IBDP organized a ‘Wellness and Health Drive’ on campus for over 100 underprivileged students from a local government school. A general health checkup of the children was performed by the visiting physicians, and it also included eye and dental hygiene checkups. Oakridgers also trained these kids in healthy habits and practicing hygiene.
Whereas students of CBSE facilitated an art competition for the 23 differently abled children from Special Care School, who were invited to the campus. As an extension of UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education, this initiative was taken to encourage the artistic abilities of special children who do not have the scope to participate in competitions.
Continuing with the same SDG, senior students from the mathematics department visited the Government School, Khajaguda to teach Math concepts to the students through multilingual instruction i.e., in English, Telugu, and Hindi based on their language preference of the latter.
“The pleasure and happiness these children derive from their actions that put a smile on others’ faces, is a feeling that can only be experienced. Once experienced, there is no stopping to these actions,” says Shalini Samuel, the CAS Coordinator.
Principal Hema Chennupaty says, “The purpose of education is to create socially responsible individuals who can make a difference in the world by their actions. Besides building problem-solving, collaboration, and other important skills through these social impact programmes, students learn to empathize with others and that is something needed to nurture compassionate global citizens.”
Oakridge International School, Gachibowli has been globally recognized with the “Social Impact Bronze Award: Rights and Goals Respecting School” by Nord Anglia Education in collaboration with UNICEF UK for acknowledging and championing both children’s rights and global SDGs. Being a part of Nord Anglia Education, students are provided with a plethora of opportunities that enable them to take action to create a better, healthier, and safer society. Students at Oakridge give a potent message with their actions to the world out there, that everyone needs to do their bit for a better future, for a better world.To know more, please visit www.oakridge.in/gachibowli.
