Beyond classrooms

From nukkad nataks, flash mobs to training programmes, three city youngsters share their journey on changing the traditional idea of education

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled,” said Plutarch. To ignite much more fire, three young minds: Smriti Singhal, Kunal Arora, and Karan Katyal initiated a youth- led organisation which aims to facilitate education in all manifestations.

Their distinctive start- up goes by the name ‘ The Education Tree’ ( TET). They firmly believe education should not be restricted to pen and paper. They believe that art is also a strong medium to reach out to the masses. So, through TET, these youngsters use medium like nukkad

nataks, road shows, graffiti, flash mobs, etc. to educate, teach and create awareness about sensitive and important issues. They feel what we learn academically is just one part of learning. They want to explore what academic teaching sometimes can’t teach. With an aim to evoke a thought, express a story, and help a budding mind, the trio is unstoppable.

This is not all, the strong, confident and thoughtful trio apart from sending across strong messages through various shows also organise several workshops, personality development classes, corporate training sessions and campaigns through which they reach out to the underprivileged lot and arm them for the competitive future. TET now proudly has almost 200 students volunteering for them.

Smriti, one of the three founding members, is a student of business journalism and corporate communication, she reminisces, “It all started when the three of us met at Khalsa college, DU. Kunal, who is now pursuing his post- graduation in international marketing, and I already knew each other and Karan, who is in his final year of BCom, joined us later. We used to actively engage in extra- curricular activities apart from our academic studies and soon realised that we had similar ideologies, thoughts and an innate thirst to help out people. First step, we decided to change the quintessential prejudice that books, stationery and degrees solely denote to education. We believed that education permeates the boundaries of academics and includes arts, craft, performing arts, gender sensitization, etc. So, on National Education Day, 11 November 2012 we officially began ‘ The Education Tree.’”

Talking about their work Karan elaborates, “We use unique art forms such as freeze mobs, flash mobs, graffiti, chalk art, street dancing, street plays, etc. to create awareness. Like recently, we organised a nukkad natak called Dastak in one of the schools and educated the students on how to handle a situ- ation when they are being eveteased, also how to handle it smartly. With a message josh

mein hosh nai khona we told them how not to get into more trouble if you are surrounded by five- six people. After receiving awesome responses, the school insisted that we show this skit to the respective parents of these kids too. Similarily we have organised more than 1,000 freeze and flash mobs in various schools, colleges and public places. We also design and organise workshops on theatre, personality development, corporate training in order to polish the skills of under- privileged students who should be equipped for the future. And as to how we divide our work? Kunal and I help in the content creation/ generation process and take care of the technical aspects. Kunal is also the headman for designing and executing etc. whereas Smriti helps put across these content/ messages.” Among several workshops, their Project Emerge initiative was highly appreciated. They provided free books and stationeries to several underprivileged students and helped them come out of their financial disadvantages.

Talking about the journey and hurdles which they had faced, Smriti shares, “We were very lucky that once TET got acknowledgment due to its mobs and campaigns, many people came forward. Last year and this year we received about 7,000 applications from volunteers and we had a hard time shortlisting these amazingly talented students to add to our team. Finally, we selected 200 out of this bunch. But sadly, we still come across people who think that we are too young to do all this and try and fool, manipulate, promise certain things and later deny. So Kunal, Karan and I have faced many hurdles like these together. From our family front, parents are not fully supportive but yeah after seeing the impact that we are able to make in the society, they are now proud and understand-ing.”