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Helping children navigate school and everyday life requires more than academic guidance. It calls for self-awareness, confidence, healthy relationships and the ability to make thoughtful decisions. Through its August initiatives, Our Responsibility to Children (ORC) brought together students, teachers and school leaders to strengthen these essential life skills and create a more supportive environment for young people.
Three one-day follow-up camps were conducted at PM Shri MOHFMGGHSS, Kalapet; GHS, Kalmandapam; and GHS, Suthukeny, reaching 107 high school students — 47 boys and 60 girls.
Facilitated by the ORC team, the sessions revisited concepts introduced during the SMART-40 camp while offering students opportunities to reflect on their personal growth. Topics included self-awareness, self-love, equality, time management, teamwork, leadership, adaptability, public speaking, critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving.
The camps also focused on motivation, academic success and the importance of education. Students actively recalled concepts from earlier sessions, participated in discussions and raised questions. The interactions helped reinforce their understanding and gave them space to clarify doubts.
The three-day SMART-40 camp brought together 103 students — 73 girls and 30 boys — from Kasthuriba Gandhi GGHSS, Bahour, and TVKGHS, Arumbarthapuram.
Through engaging activities, students explored ten essential life skills: problem-solving, decision-making, creative thinking, critical thinking, self-awareness, empathy, interpersonal relationships, effective communication, stress management and coping with emotions. The programme also encouraged them to consider their responsibility towards nature and the Earth.
By creating opportunities to learn and practise these skills, the camp aimed to help students approach everyday challenges with greater awareness and confidence.
Supporting children effectively begins with recognising their individual needs. To strengthen this approach, ORC conducted I Know My Student Solution (IKMSS) orientation programmes across seven schools: GHS, Kothapurinatham; PBGHSS, PS Palayam; GHS, Mangalam; SCSVGHS, Veerampattinam; KKGHSS, KT Kuppam; GHS, Santhaipudukuppam; and GHS, MG Palayam.
A total of 66 class teachers — 47 women and 19 men — from high and higher secondary schools participated. The sessions introduced the pathways and components of ORC, bio-psycho-social issues affecting children, and the use of IKMSS solution cards. These tools are intended to help teachers identify students who may benefit from additional support and select children for upcoming SMART-40 camps.
Teachers highlighted the practical value of the orientation, particularly its guidance on identifying students’ problems and responding more effectively. One teacher noted that the solution card would help them “track and support every student effectively.”
The feedback reflected the importance of equipping educators with practical tools to understand students beyond their classroom performance.
ORC’s general awareness programme reached 127 high school students — 88 girls and 39 boys — at SCSVGHS, Veerampattinam; GHS, Mangalam; and PKGBHSS, Muthialpet.
The sessions addressed three themes: Nurturing Health Habits: Menstrual Hygiene and Wellness, Behaviour Molding Session for Growing Generation, and Understanding My Body.
Resource persons Mrs. Naimunisa S., Mrs. Megala M., Mrs. Banupriya C. and Mrs. Mabal Abisha, Assistant and Associate Professors from the College of Nursing at East Coast Institute of Medical and Sciences, Moolakulam, discussed the menstrual cycle, healthy periods, nutritious food, menstrual hygiene, common menstrual concerns among schoolchildren and myths surrounding menstruation.
Dr. P. R. Vinothkumar led the session on behaviour for the growing generation, focusing on healthy habits, physical and mental well-being, the importance of behaviour and setting future goals. Together, these sessions provided students with information intended to support informed choices about their health, personal development and everyday lives.
Regular communication with schools remains an important part of ORC’s work. During August, team members visited 23 schools to meet school heads and coordinate dates for upcoming camps.
The visits helped maintain contact with school leadership and support the planning of future activities. Working closely with schools allows the team to coordinate programmes and identify opportunities to extend life-skills support to more students.
Alongside group activities, the ORC team met with one student for individual counselling, providing an opportunity for focused support.
Ms. Pavithra, an ORC team member, also participated in a School Management Committee (SMC) meeting at Kasthuriba Gandhi GGGHSS, Bahour. The meeting involved the Vice Principal, Head of the School and parents, and addressed third-language preferences for students in Standards 6 to 10. This engagement provided a forum for discussion among school representatives and families on an issue affecting students’ educational experience.
ORC also participated in the “Conserving and Restoring Our Lost Eco-Heritage” programme at Aurovanam, alongside students from the College of Nursing at East Coast Institute of Medical and Sciences, Moolakulam.
The programme connected educational engagement with the importance of conserving and restoring ecological heritage, complementing ORC’s emphasis on helping students understand their responsibilities towards the wider world.
The next phase of ORC’s work will include three-day SMART-40 camps at PM Shri MOHFMGGHSS, Kalapet; CGHS, Abishekapakkam; and Kasthuriba Gandhi GGHSS, Bahour.
A general awareness session is also planned at GHS, MG Palayam, on Building Healthy Relationships: Recognising What’s Healthy and What’s Not.
Through life-skills camps, teacher orientation, health awareness and continued school engagement, ORC is working to strengthen the network of support around children. By bringing students and educators into the process, the programme seeks to encourage not only personal growth, but also healthier relationships, better-informed decisions and more supportive school environments.
Our Responsibility to Children continues to work alongside schools and educators to help children build the skills, awareness and support systems they need to navigate life with confidence.
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A month of active engagement for the Our Responsibility to Children (ORC) team, with a wide range of programmes supporting the well-being, ment..
This month, we focused on reinforcing life skills, strengthening school partnerships, and supporting students' emotional well-being through follow-up camps, ..