This is the Blog Site for Know - the - ledge ! Twelve students from the Hotchkiss school are making the trip to Lucknow, India in March, 2008. They will be working in the Avadh School, established by the Avadh Ladies Club, a women’s organization in Lucknow, India, primarily dedicated to providing education for needy children.
The Hotchkiss students will donate materials and volunteer their time to set up basketball, soccer and street hockey camps, create new art projects, such as beading, jewelry making, mask-making, painting and use the projects to help the students with reading, math and computer skills. This” hands on”, direct, individual attention given to these young people can make a difference in their lives, can inspire, can give hope. The richness of such a global exchange is a valuable learning experience for everyone involved.
Just the exposure to India and its ancient culture is life altering, and the local historic shrines, sites, forts, markets, etc. will be explored, with knowledgeable Indian tour guides, when the community work has been done for the day.
After completing the community service, we will return to Delhi, where we can explore some of the ancient history, cultural wonders, religious sites, followed by a trip to the ‘Golden Triangle’ from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, then on to Jaipur, a colorful city of palaces and forts, and back to Delhi for the trip home.
The inspiration for this trip came to me after I attended a talk at Hotchkiss given by Patrick Cook-Deegan, a student at Brown University, who started a program to raise money for needy schools all over the world - see the site at http://www.cycleforschools.com/ . It began with a bike trip through Laos, which raised money for a school for 150 children. I have been to India several times (my father was born and raised in India), and have been struck by need for literacy as an engine of mobility for the poor in that country. When Patrick talked about how a whole school could be built in developing countries for the cost of a single year's tuition in a private school in the U.S., I decided to try and take on such a project. With a lot of help and encouragement from my parents, advisor, and the school, we have put this trip together, and look forward to an exciting, enlightening, and fulfilling adventure.
Zubin Sharma
The Hotchkiss School Class of '09
Saturday, February 16, 2008
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