Enhancing the skills of Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication, Collaboration, and Social Skills with the Sustainable Development Goals
In 2018-19, Brainwiz worked with the NCC Group of Prayagraj to enhance the key 21st-Century Skills of Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication, Collaboration, and Social Skills of the cadets using Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), to facilitate their selections in the Indian Armed Forces.
– Education for Sustainable Development
– 21st-Century Skills
Is it enough to just provide the resources?
Despite the fact that cadets at the NCC receive all the necessary training directly under the supervision of Officers of the Indian Armed Forces, NCC’s contribution in the Indian Armed Forces falls short of what is expected of them. Staff Selection Board (SSB) aspirants are judged on the certain Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) during their exhaustive selection process. These qualities are the same as the 21st-Century Skills of Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication, Collaboration, Social Skills etc.
When we started working with 1,500 cadets of NCC Prayagraj, we did not expect that a student of class XII will not be able to introduce himself and not know the name of the Chief Minister of the State.
Our brief was to prepare citizens who can contribute to the welfare of the nation
We were working with clear instructions from the Officers who were in-charge of the training and development of these cadets. These instructions were in line with the aims and objectives of NCC and the preparation NCC cadets need to get selected for the Indian Armed Forces.
1. Develop character, comradeship, discipline, a secular outlook, spirit of adventure, and ideals of selfless service among the cadets
2. Create a pool of organised, trained, and motivated youth with leadership qualities from all walks of life who will serve the nation regardless of which career they choose
To cater to these, we designed and ran programs and activities that would bring the cadets closer to their own city of Prayagraj, motivated them to identify problems that they face in their daily lives, and work together to resolve those problems. In this process, the cadets worked on issues that concern them and their communities. This sense of belongingness also gave them a sense of ownership of the solutions that they were creating.
We worked closely with the Officers and the Cadets to make a successful program
We conducted 21st-Century Skill Assessments and Social Awareness Assessments for the cadets
We worked with the facilitators who are in-charge of day-to-day training of these cadets
We designed training content and activities for the cadets to cater to the gaps identified initially
We ran training sessions and activity sessions for these cadets as a part of their NCC Camps
We helped the Cadets to find practical, scalable, and replicable solutions to the problems they identified
The outcomes of the program were showcased to the Officers of the Indian Armed Forces and Administrators and Academicians in the city of Prayagraj
Watch Brainwiz’s founder Tarush Jain talk about this project and more in his TEDx Talk!
With this pilot, we could prove the effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development pedagogies in enhancing the 21st Century Skills of learners
Sensitisation towards SDGs
With this program, the Cadets learned about the important SDGs and the sustainability challenges that their city faces.
Enhanced 21st Century Skills
The assessments we took at different stages of the program highlighted that the competencies of Critical Thinking, Communication, and Social Skills of these Cadets got enhanced through this program.
Participation of Multiple Stakeholders
After the successful pilot, the NCC group organised a huge closing ceremony to showcase the successes of the project to the Officers of the Indian Armed Forces, Academicians in the city, and local Administrators of the City
Here’s a list of all the amazing things we have been doing
Now in line with the National Education Policy 2020
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Every learner deserves an equal opportunity in the 21st-century. Brainwiz is committed to providing that opportunity to everyone and making them Future Ready!