Tribes for GOOD

Changemaking is an organic process that can begin from personal life experiences. TribesforGOOD's ChangeWarrior, Somin Narain, a Grade 12 student at Sanskriti School, Delhi NCR, believes that what is personal is also political. Somin was diagnosed with learning disabilities at the age of six and studied with special educators making everyone assume that his IQ was low. A reluctant Somin spoke to us in 2021 and delayed his enrolment for over 4 months and finally agreed to teach his favourite subject Mathematics to 10 students from government schools. He got an overwhelming response from his first class making him understand his role in reducing education inequity and his personal role in being a change agent. From his personal experience, he was well aware of the significance of Mathematics, and how extra motivation could help students pursue it more passionately.

In a study by UIC Research on Urban Education Policy Initiative, it was found that students who perform well in Algebra have better chances to explore advanced STEM courses and are more likely to enrol in college, graduate with a Bachelor's degree, go on to well-paid, in-demand careers and overcome inter-generational poverty.

Role of Educators & Community Service

As an educator, it is important to help students view community service not as just another item on their checklist but as something that truly resonates with their values. Through service, high schoolers can experience a sense of fulfilment and meaning in their lives by contributing to a cause they care about. The journey is so enriching that even students who join without much regard for community service end up with a deeper respect for it. Through our work with over 1750+ students across 15 countries, we have seen students build up the skills mentioned below.

Build Empathy

Social impact programs allow high schoolers to break their bubble of privilege and renew their sense of empathy and respect for people. While meaningful engagement with underprivileged communities certainly is an eye-opener, even interactions with peers prove to be game-changing. Zehn Kashyap (Grade 10, Vasant Valley), an advocate for differentness, urged her peers at TribesforGOOD to stand up for cyber-bullying. Her detailed narrative of her journey as a changemaker was a testament that sharing our stories can inspire, empower and build empathy in others.

Learning New Skills & Fostering a Growth Mindset

When following a structured approach and working at the grassroots, students learn about 1) new dimensions of society 2) build 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, communication etc. and 3) challenge themselves to explore unexplored potential such as building apps or making a documentary. Sunidhi Patil (Grade 11, DHB Soni College) taught at a Observation Home an institution where abandoned children and juveniles in detention are sheltered - in her hometown, Solapur, Maharashtra. Later, she increased her knowledge about financial inclusion and expanded to human trafficking survivors. Some like Somin choose to expand their work by building apps.

Build A Sense of Community

A few of our high schoolers have explored citizen leadership by playing a key role in their own communities. Urvi Kochhar (Grade 12), through her initiative VASTRAM is tackling climate change by ensuring clothes don't end up in landfills. Niharika (Grade 10, Pathways Noida) made a documentary titled "Maahtari", on the gender-based struggles of tribal women in Chhattisgarh. Another climate activist, Jiana Lakdawala (Grade 10, The Cathedral and John Connon School) had an epiphany on climate change when a fellow teammate recalled being breathless on the school bus.

Develop a Sense of Purpose

With some nudging, students understand they can serve our society using their own passions. It is about finding what they are truly passionate about.

In conclusion, service and social impact can be powerful tools for personal growth and development. By sensitizing young people to the inequities in the world and helping them see the value in service, we can empower them to become empathetic leaders and change agents in their communities.