DSS Kolkata (Divine Script Society) believes that education must go beyond textbooks.
Over the past few months, the DSS team has been working closely with students, teachers and guardians at Haltu Kishalaya Shiksha Sadan High School and Children’s Welfare Association High School for Girls, Sarsuna, to create spaces where learning feels engaging, supportive and full of possibility thus trying to reduce drop outs from government education system and putting them back into education.
"This is our new project Yuva Shakti", said Priyanka Karmakar, who is leading the Education department.
From conversational English and science workshops to vocational guidance, art and craft sessions, computer hardware basics and counselling support, our efforts have focused on helping children build confidence, curiosity and practical
life skills.
Under the guidance of our Educational Consultant, Devakalpa Ghose, we have tried to create sessions that are interactive, inclusive and rooted in the everyday realities of the students.
At Haltu, we began by simply listening and understanding the students’ needs, fears and aspirations. Over time, trust grew through games, creative activities, English conversation practice and career guidance sessions. Our School Co- ordinator Priyanka Karmakar and teacher Subhasini Hassan played a key role in making the children feel comfortable and encouraged.
“Many students are shy at first, but once they realise they are being heard without judgement, they begin to open up beautifully,” shared Priyanka.
Subhasini added, “The joy on their faces during the art and craft sessions reminds us that creativity can become a powerful tool for confidence building.”
At Sarsuna, we were inspired by the school’s vibrant learning environment and the enthusiasm of both teachers and students. Sessions on science, spoken English, vocational awareness and even dance movement therapy created opportunities for children and teachers alike to learn, reflect and recharge.
Career guidance among the older students is a very important topic though often overlooked. As a result many students don’t know which skills or route to pursue for creating a future for themselves.
Vocational Coach and Career Counsellor Ms. Tuli Chatterjee conducted sessions on Career Counselling with the older students.
Alongside learning activities, we also distributed welcome kits and nutritional dry ration support to students, while conducting baseline surveys with families to better understand their educational and social realities.
As we continue this journey, we are becoming increasingly aware that nutritional support, emotional wellbeing, confidence building and employability skills are deeply interconnected.
There is still much to do, but with the cooperation of
schools, families and our team, we hope to keep building brighter possibilities for every child we work with.