Dubai: A group of Dubai students are making their summer vacation more meaningful and productive by giving back to the community through an educational initiative called School4School project.
Six students and a teacher from GEMS Our Own High School Al Warqaa, Dubai, took part in the volunteering programme spearheaded by K. Venkatraman, popularly known as the Pencil Man of the UAE, at two schools in the South Indian state of Kerala.
Their schedule this week was packed with enriching activities designed to benefit local students, including setting up a basic science lab, teaching basic coding, promoting sustainability and conducting sessions on Artificial Intelligence and Model United Nations (MUN).
The group included grade 11 students Tamann John, Sarang Pillai, Sarvesh Varun Mani and Jamin Cherian as well as Edwin George of Grade 10 and Daniel Davidson of Grade 9. They were accompanied by one of their teachers, Sini Haridasan, their school’s coordinator for the School4School Project.
On Tuesday, they were supported by Abhilash P. Lovely, Yash Susanna Bandary and Shivadatt Sumanesh, their seniors who recently finished grade 12 from the school.
The volunteering services were offered at St. Joseph’s UP School in Kadavanthra and St. Thomas Girls High School in Perumanoor.
Volunteering activities
One of the students, Sarang Pillai, said: “School4School is an initiative we’ve been working on for the past three months, involving numerous meetings to set up this social programme. Our school has embraced this project, led by six students. We were supported by some of our alumni who joined us for a day at St. Joseph UP School.”
“We transformed an old abandoned room into a science lab with charts and working models aligned with the syllabus, thanks to resources arranged by Mr. Venkat. We hope this will make learning more engaging for the students. On the second day, we conducted an environmental conservation session to raise awareness about the global crisis and the role students can play.”
The students also led a tree plantation campaign on the school campus.
Another student, Edwin George, added: “We held public speaking sessions to build students’ confidence and help them speak up when given the opportunity. We also conducted sessions on AI and its applications, recognising its importance in today’s world. We plan to collaborate online with each school over the next three to four months as a follow-up.”
The Dubai students also visited their counterparts in GEMS Modern Academy, Kochi (GMA) and collaborated to develop a sustainable school plan. Students formed teams to discuss and devise sustainability solutions in areas like energy conservation and waste management, then presented their plans. A voting session selected the best plan with group input. Both schools propose to implement the solutions over three months. A follow-up online meeting will be held to share the implementation results and impact, the students said.
Cherished project
“School4School is a project close to my heart,” said Venkatraman, a chartered accountant-cum-entrepreneur known for spearheading donation campaigns of pencils and other stationeries for the underprivileged students. He had previously set Guinness World Record twice — first for the largest donation of school supplies and secondly for that of legumes.
He said the new initiative involves privileged students from various schools in Dubai and around the world. “These students visit schools in other countries, engaging in activities such as setting up science labs, promoting environmental conservation, and improving communication skills, benefiting the less privileged.”
Also a member of local advisory boards in three Dubai schools, Venkatraman said the two beneficiary schools were identified with the help of Sapna James, a social worker in Kochi.
“I proposed the idea to schools in Dubai, and as a pilot project, Our Own High School took up the initiative. I extend my gratitude to the principals and students of all participating schools and Sapna for facilitating this.
While a couple of their families hailed from Kochi, the rest of the students travelled from other parts of Kerala for the initiative, said Venkatraman.
Despite the torrential rains and challenging weather conditions in Kerala, he said, the students persevered, making a difference in the lives of their Indian peers.
“To share one’s learning with others is the greatest gift and service. It gives me immense pleasure to see our senior students spending their holidays with two schools in Kerala,” said Dr Anjuli Murthy, principal of Our Own High School, Dubai.
“I thank Mr. Venkat for facilitating this programme. We will continue with such initiatives which will positively impact all students involved,” she added.
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Bridging the language gap
Venkatraman, who has been propagating the message of giving and reusing at various schools, said he has also initiated another project called “English on Call.”
“Dedicated students from prestigious Dubai schools — Cambridge International School, GEMS Our Own Indian School, GEMS Our Own High School, Al Diyafah High School, JSS International School, and GEMS Modern Academy, are providing online English coaching to students in underprivileged schools in India. This initiative, conducted through individual online sessions, aims to enhance English language skills and build confidence among Indian students. It is done in collaboration with Mumbai-based non-profit organisation Sampoorna Shiksha,” he added.
